Joel Embiid's Orlando Mentality Paying off for Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid's mentality is crucial for the Philadelphia 76ers. As the team's best player, Embiid is expected to take control of the game more often than not. And in order for the three-time All-Star to play at his peak, he needs to be in the right headspace.

Throughout the pre-coronavirus 2019-2020 NBA season, Embiid admittedly wasn't one-hundred percent committed mentally. At times, he looked disinterested in playing. After some games, he mentioned he wasn't having fun. And at a point during the season, Sixers' Managing Partner Josh Harris had to pay a visit to Embiid at home because the star center was obviously in a funk.

As the NBA was gearing up for a restart, it was unclear what kind of mentality Embiid was going to have. While he mentioned he's been working hard every day on his game, Embiid also admitted he considered opting out of the season's restart. To no surprise, that worried fans -- and many questioned whether he would be all in or not.

So far, though, through three seeding games, Embiid looks like a man on a mission. Against the Pacers, Spurs, and the Wizards, Embiid has averaged 32 points-per-game, 13 rebounds, four assists, and 1.7 blocks. There was some skepticism that Embiid would struggle playing without a crowd to feed off of, but the Sixers' big man found a way to create his own energy down in Orlando.

"I'm good [without a crowd]," Embiid admitted following Wednesday's game against the Wizards. "I think I'm past that phase of just feeding off the crowd. I feel like I'm in a space where I can just command the game the way I want to, whenever I want to, whether it's being the best defensive player on the floor or best offensive player on the floor."

From the outside looking in, it seems Embiid is in a much better headspace down in Orlando when he's on the court, in comparison to how he looked throughout the season before the suspension. However, it's not just something the spectators see. Embiid's coaches and teammates feel there's a change in mindset for Embiid as well.

"I feel like he's more assertive -- more aggressive," said Sixers backup center, Al Horford. "You can tell he's been taking care of his body and really trying to be ready to go on the court. I think he has gone through great lengths to stay healthy, and it is working. He's doing everything he has to do, and it's no surprise he's playing at such a high level." 

Meanwhile, Sixers head coach Brett Brown believes Embiid is "at the best place that he has ever been" since coaching him. "We've been playing a ton through Joel," Brown said after the win on Wednesday. "I feel like that is the gold medal as it relates to my impression of Joel again tonight. With Ben [Simmons] down, he just grabbed the gym and grabbed the game."

Now that Embiid has worked on getting in shape, passing out of the post, and taking care of the ball in double teams, the Sixers' big man just has to do all he can to stay healthy down in Orlando. With playoffs vastly approaching, keeping Embiid healthy throughout the seeding games and the playoffs will be essential for Philly if they want to truly make a run for the Finals. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_