The Process to be continued…… I LOVE YOU PHILADELPHIA #5MoreYears pic.twitter.com/Xop96EhRPA
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) October 10, 2017
By now, you surely all have heard about the massive contract signed by former Kansas center Joel Embiid, who on Monday inked a five-year, $148 million contract to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Not bad for a guy who has played in just 31 NBA games since leaving Kansas as the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Granted, those 31 games produced some pretty impressive results — 20 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists per game — and nearly led to Embiid being named the rookie of the year last season despite the small sample size.
And those numbers, while solid, don’t even tell half of the story as the former KU standout whose college career ended early because of injury has rejuvenated an entire franchise and city and become a sort of cult hero across the country for his skills, confidence and never-ending social media presence that has provided some of the best NBA entertainment of the past three seasons.
But forget for a second about his game or the future. The big question now that Embiid has signed the deal is simple: Was he worth it?
The NBA world seems to be mixed in its response and who could blame anyone for questioning whether that kind of max deal, which, according to reports, could grow to as much as $178 million by the end of it, is the right move for an oft-injured player such as Embiid.
There’s no question that when he’s healthy and on the floor, Embiid is a game changer, the kind of player you can build a team around and ride to enormous heights.
But staying healthy has been a struggle and, with that frame and the way he uses such explosive movements to play the game, it’s certainly fair to question whether he will remain healthy and become the player the Sixers need him to and hope he will become.
[With Embiid and the Sixers slated to be in Kansas City, Mo., for an exhibition game on Friday night,][1] this topic certainly figures to be hot around this area for at least the next few days.
And while the Sixers did include some language in the contract that offers them some measure of protection against injury, it’s still a massive commitment for a player who, as of today, has to be considered at least somewhat of a question mark.
To that end, [here’s my favorite recap of the Embiid situation,][2] from Paul Flannery at SB Nation, who spells out the five appropriate responses to Embiid’s contract extension.
It seems as if Flannery covered all of the emotions and opinions that many had after hearing the news about the extension, but, knowing Embiid, it’s certainly possible that his career path will take us on an unexpected journey that nobody has talked about thus far. You know, like him playing point guard or becoming Philly’s player-coach.
Anything is possible with The Process.
Let’s just hope that most of what we see during the next five years is Embiid on the court wowing the world with his skills and ability and earning every dime of that lucrative contract.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/chasen-point/2017/oct/5/joel-embiid-nearing-return-76ers-to-play/
[2]: https://www.sbnation.com/2017/10/10/16451422/joel-embiid-contract-analysis-76ers-get-money
