With Paul George joining the Sixers this summer, everyone expects Joel Embiid and Co. to turn the franchise around and finally attain some playoff success. But things might not be that simple. As we saw during the Paris Olympics, Joel struggled to find his rhythm when he teamed up with some of the biggest superstars in the league. And he could face the same issue in Philly, now that he has PG and Maxey by his side. However, Gilbert Arenas believes tweaking a key aspect of his gameplay might be the solution to all concerns.

The Wizards legend was asked if Embiid needs to lower his numbers to fit better with Paul George. Arenas replied, “I don’t think sacrifice his scoring. I think how long he holds the ball should change.” Being the primary option for the Sixers throughout his career, Joel is used to having the ball in his hands most of the time. Sure, he led the league in scoring twice in the last 2 seasons and averaged a career-high 34.7 points this past season. But that hasn’t helped him get past the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Because of his track record, Arenas remarked on Gil’s Arena, “I think he needs to make quicker moves. Either go into your sh*t early or get off of it. I don’t think you should be sitting there pump faking, jabbing and everybody just sitting there.” Instead of using up most of the shot clock to get to his move, Arenas advised Joel Embiid to “hurry up and get to it.”

With Paul George on the roster, the Sixers have added a consistent 25-point scorer who has the star power to take over whenever needed. On top of that, they have a budding Tyrese Maxey who had the best year of his career last season, averaging 25.9 points. But finding success together might require The Process to occasionally take a back seat and let others do their thing.

Joel Embiid has failed with superstar teammates before

Just because PG has teamed up with Joel does not ensure the team’s success. More so because Embiid has had teammates of such caliber throughout his career and yet failed to get past the second round of the playoffs. Obviously, the superstar he shared the court with the longest was Ben Simmons, who was in Philly for 6 years and was a 3-time All-Star. Then, Joel also had Jimmy Butler by his side during the 2018-19 season, but the duo got eliminated by Kawhi Leonard’s historic game-winner in Toronto.

And most recently, Joel got a chance to play with James Harden but failed in the playoffs yet again. Despite having so many star teammates in the past, he has never reached the Conference finals, and it has started to put a stain on his legacy. And the PG team-up might be his final chance to prove that he is not the problem to an annoyed fanbase.

Moreover, after his experience with Team USA, the former MVP claims to have learned an important lesson, “When I go back to Philly, having some of my other guys, just learning how to take a step back and letting them do their thing and taking over when needed—that’s been something I’ve gotten from this experience.”

So, there is a chance he will take Arenas’ advice for the betterment of his team. What are your thoughts?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger