Joel Embiid On If Ben Simmons Played Like He Did In His Offseason Videos: ‘That Would Help’

Media day took place around the NBA on Monday as training camp gets set to begin. The focus for many was on two of the East’s best, where the Sixers and Nets met with the media albeit both were without the physical presence of one of their superstars.

In Brooklyn, Kyrie Irving’s vaccination status was at the forefront of everyone’s mind, as he would be ineligible to play home games for the Nets if he does not get the COVID-19 vaccine. Irving, who called in via Zoom, wouldn’t speak on that, asking they respect his privacy, which will only actually be possible for a few weeks as everyone will know, one way or the other, when the Nets play their first home game in October.

In Philadelphia, Ben Simmons’ holdout and trade request was the main topic of conversation, and he wasn’t just not there physically but also was not going to be calling in to talk. That left the rest of the Sixers to answer questions about Simmons and how they got to this point. Joel Embiid led things off and had plenty to say, from insisting he has no regrets about his comments after Game 7, saying he was asked a question and only stated “facts.” He also said he and everyone on the Sixers had to shoulder blame for the loss, spoke on the difficulty of trade rumors but how it’s part of the business and it’s the front office’s job to always be looking into making the team better.

While Embiid was diplomatic about the situation, there were times where you could tell he was frustrated by it all. That was most notably apparent when he was asked about what he’d want to see from Ben Simmons and referenced his infamous offseason training videos in which he’s hoisting shots and doing all kinds of things offensively, which Embiid remarked very straight-faced, “that would help.”

It is truly incredible delivery from Embiid, who went on to talk about Simmons’ defense and what that brings to the Sixers as well as how there’s room for him to be an even better offensive rebounder. It is incredibly funny for Embiid to bring those videos up, because you know he’s been seeing those things for years and then Simmons comes into camp and refuses to do any of the shot creation stuff we see in the offseason when the real games start. Embiid said he loved playing with Simmons and hopes he comes back, but it seems he and everyone else know the score at this point and are hoping the situation gets resolved. In the meantime, Embiid can’t help but speak the truth and say what everyone’s thinking, which is sometimes hilarious.