Charles Barkley Believes Maturity is Key for Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons

There might be a new coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, but that doesn't mean the legendary Charles Barkley believes that solves all of the team's problems. Doc Rivers is a good addition to the Sixers' organization, but the success of the team moving forward won't weigh down on him. Instead, everybody is looking at the team's two All-Stars, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, to take the Sixers to the next level.

Many believe Simmons and Embiid aren't a good fit -- and the jury is still out on that idea. There's proof that the combination of Simmons and Embiid is imperfect as their presence together causes a lack of spacing. On the other hand, Simmons and Embiid have helped lead the Sixers to three-straight playoff appearances -- so it's not like they can't win and go far together.

So what needs to be done to make this combination work moving forward? In Barkley's opinion, maturity is key. "Those guys got to get their crap together," Barkley told Dan Patrick in regards to Embiid and Simmons. "I like both of them as people, but it’s time for them to grow up. Right now, they’re All-Stars. It’s time to be superstars. We still shouldn’t be wondering if a guy can shoot, or if a guy’s gonna get in shape if I just gave him $170 million last two years."

As concerns of Embiid's conditioning and Simmons's lack of shooting continue to linger, the Sixers are hopeful that head coach Doc Rivers can come in and do a better job than Brett Brown did over the last few seasons in terms of getting the best out of the Sixers' stars. However, Simmons and Embiid are going to have to want to be better during the 2020-2021 season personally.

The good news is that Simmons and Embiid were making strides in the departments they struggle in, while inside the NBA's bubble down in Orlando, Florida, this past summer. At this point, though, they need to maintain those strides. Next season, the Sixers will hopefully see an in-shape and motivated Embiid along with a fearless Simmons, who is ready to take high-percentage shots without thinking twice. If they can make it happen, they'll take the next step to superstardom, as Barkley explained.

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

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