When the reconstruction began in 2013, most of the people who participated in the Sixers’ fight for the No. 1 seed in the East were far from Philadelphia. Even the highest jewel of the organization, Joel Embiid (Joel Embiid), lost a year of opportunity to join the team that is now synonymous with his name.

But before winning all the victories, heartbroken and burners, it doesn’t take much time to bring Embiid back to that place. Sometimes, he even gets gentle reminders from the head of the organization.

“Give them a “trust process,” Joel.” After defeating the Magic, at the end of Embiid’s Zoom interview on Friday night, Daryl Morey joked off the screen.

“Trust process,” Embiid quickly got up. “Sam Hinkey knows.”

Since then, Sinki has admitted more or less, no, he did it Is not know. That’s the point-the 76ers (actually) seize the opportunity and flexibility, and know that without certainty, their best plan may go wrong. To some extent, Embiid is essentially a vivid representation of this fact. After countless operations, frightening falls, and the entire NBA season, he is the team leader in the Eastern Conference in terms of home court advantage.

Philadelphia has topped the list for the first time since Allen Iverson’s allegorical 2001 campaign.He is often hurt by hard memories, and the memories are still fresh in his mind. He rattled about goals that he failed to achieve yesterday-for example, he still firmly believes that if they stay healthy, they will enter the playoffs in the 2016-17 season. These failures made him appreciate the opportunities before him and the situation he is in today.

“Every year, we get better. This year, you know, I mentioned the past, I just think everything is suitable,” Embiid said on Friday. “From the car owner to the coach, from the front desk to the players, I feel that everyone is on the same page, which is why we have such an excellent regular season. But in the final analysis, it’s all good.

“You have to go out and prove why you are the No. 1 seed, you have to enter the playoffs and beat these teams and win the whole victory.”

Many people (including you) actually see this year as a year that feels high. This is a test to understand that if the 76ers simply make a shot, Embiid and Ben Simmons will What is it like. Then the 76ers got upstairs and didn’t really stop winning, even though the embiid injury threatened a year of feeling good before the really important year of this game. They facilitated the James Harden deal, they facilitated Kyle Lowry, they pursued the weight of expectations instead of evading them. Their best player considers him the most valuable player. Their point guard considers him the defensive player of the year.

Can you blame them for wanting to be a bit crow when they get up? This team fell into a terrible state less than a year ago, was bounced off by a nasty opponent in the playoffs, and looked like it was stuck on an expensive, unhealthy roster.with that The group was formed only after the former chief executive was ashamed of leaving the organization due to the burner account scandal, creating a power vacuum that would take years to resolve.

It turns out that they just need the right person to fix the problem. After a few acquired shooters, they can start shooting. In this way, Embiid can easily reflect on the collective effort to get here.

Embiid said on Friday: “We did this work as a team. It feels like everyone has contributed.” “Starting from the defensive end, our defensive performance for a year has been great. I think We have the first or second best defense in the league. Then on the offensive end, play between each other, move the ball, find the right person, guys, Tobias does his thing, Ben does him I’m dominant, the bench enters and maintains the lead or pushes the lead. Very good.”

Please note that it should be downplayed to cater to the big man, this is the focus of the offseason. He did not keep it completely confidential. With the recruitment and mobilization of new employees in the fall, Embiid is often the first person to join social media. He expressed his excitement in the Doc Rivers game or the fun of playing in front of assistant coach Dan Burke. In the offseason, sometimes the 76ers may hire Mike D’Antoni to lead the team, a move that will raise questions about the star’s feeling and fitness.

The 76ers should be (and indeed) lucky to land on Rivers, who didn’t have time to determine their best player, but instead set out to establish a hierarchy that puts big men first. In return, the star pupil placed a lot of expectations, including his hope to set the expectations of the camp through training, but all great players cherish the rewards: touch, attention and help when needed.

The river and the eight years it took to get here is a good thing in many respects, but especially in this regard-locking the No. 1 seed as a milestone in his mind, the respect for him is extremely low. This is not the end of a process that lasted several years, but just what he was brought here to do.Or, as he explained to reporters on Friday, the side effects of their work to achieve their goals Actual the goal.

Rivers said: “I don’t want to underestimate it.” “I tell our people that they should enjoy it, you know, I don’t even want to call it a moment, I tell them to enjoy the second. Because, you know, this is not us Want, but this is part of what you can do to get the path you want. I think it’s very important for a young team like us to have a home court. It’s great to have it, so we should feel that pride.”

Clicked. There is no time to win, especially after the shameful game in Miami two days ago. The 76ers have rarely been tested throughout the season. Although their all-around lineup looks strong against all types of opponents, they didn’t put in all of this work, just to make a prominence in the second round again. If all of Dwight Howard’s dramas, Monsters’ Embiid performances and Sam Cassell’s slogans, if they don’t turn the Eastern Conference lead into a playoff victory, they will all be dismissed. de smell. Rivers and anyone else know this because he wants to escape the spectacular playoff crash on his resume.

Now, even though they are ranked first in the East, DraftKings still wins the top 76 with 76 points. According to Pickswise. This puts them tied for fifth with the Bucks, which is the best result in fifth overall, far behind the Nets (+200).

If there is a reason to believe them, it is their defense. In the best case, they killed the team and made the high scorers afraid of catching the basketball from the start. They have not been locked in for a while-frankly, they didn’t really need it-which is why Embiid believes they can reach a higher level of survival when the real game starts.

“Every game is important and as good as the regular season. I think we will get better in the playoffs,” Embiid said. “In the regular season, [it’s] It’s not that you should think in the right way, but sometimes you may get rid of it-not making the right rotation, not fully invested in defense. But in the playoffs, everyone must be on the same page. We have a goal, and we think it can be achieved. Therefore, everyone is ready and I think our defense will be better. “

Suddenly, the East passed through Philadelphia. Okay, it was not sudden after all. However, if you are a loyal supporter of the team, then you should enjoy longer than the number of seconds set by Rivers. God knows you will wait longer than that.

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