Fractured relationship? Joel Embiid (left) and Ben Simmons.

Fractured relationship? Joel Embiid (left) and Ben Simmons.Credit:Getty Images

But Embiid added he still wanted to reunite with his All-Star teammate who helped lead the Sixers to the best regular-season record in the eastern conference last season.

The following day,The Athletic report came out. There have long been questions about the on-court (and personality) fit of Embiid,a truly dominant centre on both ends of the floor,andSimmons,an elite defender who on offence needs lanes to get to the basket and is reluctant to shoot.

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It was clear Embiid was the franchise cornerstone when he put together an MVP-calibre season in 2020-21,a commitment that was reciprocated by the Sixers when they signed up to a super-max extension during the summer.

Yet Embiid also highlighted the abundance of outside shooting on the Sixers’ roster,from Danny Green and Seth Curry,to Tobias Harris and Furkan Korkmaz,to newcomer Georges Niang. Embiid touched on his ability to step out to the three-point line,“… which I don’t mind. I like to be a basketball player,I like to do everything on the basketball court.”

Embiid also rehashed when the Sixers let Jimmy Butler sign with the Miami Heat and signed Al Horford before the 2019-20 season,“which I still think … was a mistake,” Embiid said. That decision was made,according to Embiid,“just to make sure that[Simmons] needed the ball in his hands.”

“We’ve always had shooters,and I feel like I can really play with anybody and I can make anybody be better on the court,” Embiid said.

“… Our teams have always been built around his needs,so it was kind of surprising to see what was said.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer

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