When ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news of Joel Embiid’s extension with the Philadelphia 76erslast Monday, many people around the league were surprised by the timing of the deal.

Philadelphia center Joel Embiid has agreed to a five-year, $148 million designated rookie scale max extension, league sources told ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 9, 2017

The Sixers could have waited until next summer when Embiid was set to become a restricted free agent and let the other teams dictate his real value. With the injuries Embiid suffered in the first two years of his NBA career, that probably would have been the most prudent approach. Many people think that with just 31 games played so far in three NBA seasons, the amount of money that the Sixers are investing in Joel Embiid’s future is way too much. When you’re dealing with such a generational talent, however, it’s almost impossible to deny that you want to keep him around as long as possible by all means necessary. So let’s try to understand the reasons that pushed the Sixers to sign Embiid to a five-year contract extension this summer.

1) The Sixers are a much better team with Joel Embiid on the court

In just 31 games last season, Embiid averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 36 percent from the three-point line and averaging almost eight free throws per game. Embiid was one of only four players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 3-pointer in a single season. The other three players were Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion, per Basketball Reference. But not only Embiid’s individual stats were impressive, his presence for the team was really key. With the big man on the court, Sixers allowed only 102.2 points per 100 possessions, according to NBAWowy. If Embiid would have played the entire season, the Sixers could have had the third-best defense in the league, just behind two contenders: The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. When Embiid wasn’t on the court, the team allowed 116 points per 100 possessions, a number that would have been, by far, the worst mark in the league. As the numbers showed, the Sixers are simply a much better team with Embiid on the court. And we’re not talking about a small difference, we’re talking about that kind of difference that separates a playoff team from a lottery team. If Embiid is healthy and will play, let’s say, at least 50-55 games this season, the Sixers have a real chance to become a playoff team. Otherwise, they’ll again be a lottery team.

2) The Sixers had no other plausible options

Joel Embiid has already signed the five-year extension with the Sixers. But now let’s pretend for a minute that didn’t happen. What other options did the Sixers have? In which other ways could they have used that cap space? The chances for Philadelphia to attract a top-15 player in the league next summer are minuscule. Philadelphia hasn’t been a legitimate destination for top free agents in the last 15 years; the last big-time free agent they signed was Elton Brand, who had a lot of physical issues and never really shined in his experience with the Sixers.

Having cap space is useful only when you have the chance to attract big-time free agents, otherwise you just throw money at mid-tier players who won’t change the future of your franchise. The Sixers are starting something good because of Joel Embiid. Without him, they’re not so attractive or interesting for free agents in the coming years. So securing Embiid’s future for the next five years looks like the best move for the present and the future of the team. The financial commitment to Embiid, however, was made giving some kind of insurance to the team regarding the player’s health. As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski explained in his piece, if Embiid will miss at least 25 games because of issues he has already had in the recent years (back and feet injuries), the Sixers could waive him in any of the four seasons of the contract extension and save that money. As you have seen, the Sixers did their homework on Embiid’s health and didn’t commit too much money to a player without some insurance.

3) Joel Embiid is the face of The Process and already a hero in Philadelphia

In addition to his abilities on the court, Joel Embiid is also the face of the Philadelphia 76ers off the court. Since his rookie campaign, Embiid has been a social media superstar and a real entertainer for Sixers fans. Everybody in Philadelphia loves him and consider him as the real face of “The Process,” the strategy made popular by former GM Sam Hinkie which quickly became a cult in the city.

The Process to be continued…… I LOVE YOU PHILADELPHIA #5MoreYears pic.twitter.com/Xop96EhRPA

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) October 10, 2017

Recently, Embiid has been caught running during the night and a fan recorded the whole scene, with Embiid reacting the fans screaming at him, raising his arms in the sky like a modern Rocky Balboa.

In the last preseason game against the Miami Heat, Embiid talked a lot of trash with Hassan Whiteside and the challenge continued on social media after the game.

And keep caring about stats and not your team success….. your +/- was ass @youngwhiteside #Softy

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) October 14, 2017

Even his teammates have nothing but love for him. In a recent live version of The Rights To Ricky Sanchez Podcast, T.J. McConnell called Embiid “the second coming of Christ.”

T.J. McConnell just called Joel Embiid “the second coming of Christ” and asked “where the f***” is my beer. #RTRSLive

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) October 7, 2017

Australian rising star Ben Simmons said that no one is gonna stop Embiid and that he’s already the best big man in the league

Ben Simmons reacts to Joel Embiid contract news: pic.twitter.com/tKZ84wRyas

— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBCS) October 9, 2017

So, ultimately, the Sixers had very good reasons to bet on Joel Embiid’s future, despite his history of injuries. When you have such a generational talent available and no other real alternative, offering him the kind of deal that Sixers gave to Embiid is not only something that you should do, but something that you have to do if you want to build a contender. Because the NBA is a league of superstars and Joel Embiid has already shown all the tools to be one of the best players in this league. He just needs to stay healthy and the bet that the Sixers made on him won’t look like a bet for much longer.

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