As the Sixers sit on the verge of Eastern Conference Semifinal Playoff elimination, the debate about the direction of the franchise going forward is already percolating. It’s apparent Philly has arrived at a fork in the road in their rebuild and will have to choose between Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid as the centerpiece.
Colin has been vocal in his belief that building around Embiid would be similar to the Thunder’s mistake of picking Westbrook over Durant – and Harden – and although Ben Simmons can’t shoot he’s still a Magic clone and not constantly hurt.
Ric Bucher stopped by the show to weigh in on the topic and comes down on the other side of the debate. He would choose Embiid over Simmons because he isn’t sold on Simmons temperament and dedication to the game. He sees his complete lack of improvement as a shooter as a major red flag, especially when he didn’t even play during his first year in the league. He’d rather roll the dice on Embiid’s unlimited potential, despite serious injury questions.