Stephen A. Smith red flags Joel Embiid's 'reliability' issues, picks Giannis Antetokounmpo as best player in Eastern Conference

Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe Joel Embiid is the best player in the Eastern Conference ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Smith said that from the talent perspective, he will go with Embiid, but not in terms of durability.

The ESPN analyst said Embiid lacked consistency in the postseason compared to Antetokounmp. Smith also said Antetokounmpo is not as talented as Embiid, but he shows up and gives his best when his team needs it.

“You want to tell me Joel Embiid is a better talent I am down for that …he has got the entire arsenal. So from a talent perspective not to mention his size and his willingness to defend and block shots of course I would go with Joel Embiid as a talent.

"But resume, as it pertains to durability, you have to go with Giannis. Giannis is not only a champion, not only a league MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, all of this. Giannis obviously has shown up all the time.”

Smith also pointed to the fact that the "Greek Freak" has a better resume than Embiid, thanks to the reigning MVP’s reliability issues, especially in the postseason.

When Embiid is healthy, he's a monster on the floor but he has consistently been plagued by injuries.

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Joel Embiid credits team camaraderie for 76ers' early success

The Philadelphia 76ers have the best record in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid has said that the team's success is because of their camaraderie. With a 6-1 record on the season, the 76ers are ahead of the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Even after James Harden's departure from Philadelphia, the 76ers have been nothing short of a dominant force. Embiid also attributed his team's success to the culture.

“I think it’s a lot of credit to the culture that we have,” Embiid said. “No one has an ego on this team.

Embiid also highlighted that the 76ers are fully focused on putting the team first, and their primary goal is to win games.

After the trade that sent Harden to the LA Clippers, there were serious concerns about the team's chances. Embiid, though, is playing at a very high level and leading his team in scoring. Building on his 2022-23 MVP season, the 76ers star leads the league in points per game with 31.7.