Former Champion Claims Sixers Joel Embiid is Under Most Pressure to Succeed

Is the Sixers star under the most pressure to deliver his team a championship?

Apr 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) brings the ball up court against the New York Knicks during the first quarter of game 5 of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Over the past decade, Joel Embiid's tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers has been up and down to say the least. Following a stellar offseason from the front office, one former champion feels the superstar center is under an immense amount of pressure to deliver results.

During the regular season, Embiid has cemented himself as one of the top stars of his generation. However, he's failed to come up big in the postseson thus far. In the Embiid era, the Sixers have failed to make it past the Eastern Conference semifinals. They are fresh off a first-round exit last postseason in a hard-fought series with the New York Knicks.

Daryl Morey full utilized the team's sizable amount of cap space, drastically improving the cast of players around Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. With this new-look roster, Kendrick Perkins claimed that no star is under more pressure next season than the Sixers center.

"There's no other player in the league that's under the most pressure like Joel Embiid," Perkins said. "He has the necessary pieces to get it done, he's under the most pressure in the NBA far as players to go out there and win big this season."

Looking at the moves Morey made this summer, the Sixers' roster might be the best its ever been since Embiid emerged into superstardom. Not only is he flanked by a young emerging star in Maxey, but one of the best two-way forwards in the league as well in Paul George.

With this complete overhaul, the Sixers find themselves in a prime position to contend for a championship. As the face of the franchise, Embiid will be called upon to get this team over the hump.