When discussing dominant big men in today’s game, Joel Embiid is always near the top of the list, despite his recent injury struggles. He can score from anywhere, bullying defenders in the post, facing up at the elbow, stepping into threes, and living at the free-throw line. It is a complete offensive package. The 31-year-old has been elite for years and was a deserving MVP in 2023. But the Embiid experience is not defined by highlights alone.
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He has built a reputation for missing significant stretches due to injury, and fair or not, questions about availability follow him everywhere. Over the years, there has also been chatter about his conditioning and work ethic, especially when playoff runs fall short. It has become a familiar storyline: Embiid gives everything he has, but the team still comes up short.
Those who truly know the game will tell you that narrative is overblown. That group now includes famed skills coach Drew Hanlen, whose endorsement alone carries weight. Speaking recently with Kevin O’Connor, Hanlen highlighted Embiid’s dedication to basketball and his unmatched skill level.
“People will look at him sometimes and be like, ‘He’s out of shape. He’s lazy.’ I’m like, ‘You don’t go from picking up a basketball the first time at 16 years to being arguably the most skilled guy of all-time, in a decade, if you don’t work hard. That’s the person,” stated Hanlen.
And while Embiid’s lack of playoff success will linger until he finally exorcises that demon, no one who truly enjoys basketball can deny his talent. He is a big man who can bang in the paint and cross over guards. Embiid has never been a traditional center. Like Nikola Jokic, he has stretched the game to new dimensions because that is what the modern NBA demanded. He did not just adapt, he put in the work to keep pace with a rapidly evolving league.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s moving the same way. He’s a 30 every single night with double-teams and with teams trying to stop him. He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever worked with,” added Hanlen, who once again scoffed at anyone who just bad-mouthed Joel and didn’t recognize his skill.
Trainer Drew Hanlen on Joel Embiid
“People will look at him and be like ‘he’s out of shape, he’s lazy.’ You don’t go from picking up a basketball the first time at 16 to being arguably the most skilled big guy of all time, in a decade, if you don’t work hard.”
(@KevinOConnor) pic.twitter.com/FaXohHrvtv
— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) February 18, 2026
The conversation around Embiid feels bigger than box scores or playoff exits. It is about legacy. We are watching one of the most skilled centers ever in real time, yet instead of appreciating how rare that is, the discourse keeps circling back to what he has not done.
Fair or not, a deep postseason run is the final box left to check, and until it happens, the noise will not die down. But if he does break through, much of that lazy criticism is going to age badly. The story will quickly shift from what Embiid could not be to how little we appreciated him while we had him.
