When it comes to Joel Embiid, the big man is always in the news for his banter and fun. The Philadelphia 76ers star is often taunting other players and making fun of them. A similar thing happened with Ben Simmons last season when he called him out for missing an open dunk.

However, according to former NBA player Jay Williams, Joel Embiid has matured now after the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade.

Embiid is on a role this season leading the league in scoring and one of the top runners for MVP. The Sixers center is putting up monster numbers with 29.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists this season.

He has developed every part of his game and has become a force on both ends of the floor. And now, with his new partner James Harden, things could get scary in Philadelphia.

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Recently, he spoke about his former teammate, Ben Simmons. But this time, he did not have anything bad to say.

Joel Embiid locked in

During a segment of ‘KJM’, the trio of Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson, and Williams went over Embiid’s recent comments on Simmons. The Philly star said he tried his best to keep him in Philly and make him feel comfortable after his failure last season. However, there was only so much he could do and he said he didn’t care after one point. While both Max and Keyshawn thought it was bad, Jay had a different outlook to the situation.

He said: “Joel Embiid is all grown up. Like, Joel Embiid, a couple of years ago would have taken that opportunity to take shots or make immature comments about Ben Simmons. But to me, this sounds like a player who is locked in, who is focused. Like yeah, chased after it, I had to let it go. It was never mine to begin with, but I’m focused on what we need to do here. Now we have a chance to win a chip and I think that’s something scary for the rest of the league.”

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There have been instances in the past where Embiid took shots at other players. However, to Williams’ point, he handled Simmons’ departure with the utmost maturity. He wished Simmons luck in Brooklyn and was extremely honest about his stand prior to the trade. Hence, it surely shows a significant growth in his character.

When it comes to being locked in, his basketball accounts for that in the best way. Embiid is putting on a masterclass every night with the Sixers. He leads the league with the most 30 point games coming in at 26 for the season. He did all this without his right hand, Ben Simmons.

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But what are the chances of the Sixers winning it all this season?

Philly’s rise to the top with James Harden

After the trade deadline, the Sixers have become a powerhouse in the NBA. Prior to the entry of Harden, Philly was a one-man show with Embiid as the leader. However, now they have the potential to create a dominant scoring duo with the Beard and Embiid.

Moreover, the Sixers roster also looks really balanced. On the offensive end, they have the two main targets in Joel Embiid and James Harden. They received one of the best facilitators in the league, as Harden can get every teammate involved in the game as one of the leading assist providers averaging 10.2 dimes. An underrated asset on their side is Matisse Thybulle. He is one of the most lethal on-ball defenders and can create major problems for any offense.

Hence, things are lined up perfectly for the Sixers. But it will all come down to how Harden and Embiid can make it work as a duo. If they do get on the same page, the Philadelphia 76ers could see a championship coming their way this season.