Page 17 - Joel Embiid Development Plan

Outside of The Numbers & The Film
We now have a better understanding of what Joel needs to improve on in the future, starting with this offseason. However, player development is not as easy as finding weaknesses, get a plan together and work on it. There is a human aspect to player development. All this sounds good, but nothing will change unless Joel feels comfortable with the plan and decide to give his maximum effort.
The key to success will be Joel. First, he must see that I know what I am talking about. This is where the film and the numbers come into play. They are a tool for me to show him where he is struggling, how he compares to his peers, and that I am not just making stuff up.
Once he sees the legitimacy of my assessment, he will be more willing to listen. Once I got him listening, I need to make him feel involved in his development by asking questions and giving him options. It is not me telling him what to do. It is us deciding together how to make him a better player.
The next part is to build trust and it is the most difficult part because it takes time. I need him to feel comfortable talking to me and exchanging with me. For that to happen on the court, it needs to happen off the court also. How can I reach him?
I got an advantage. We both speak French as our first language. That should help him feel more comfortable right away. From there, I will have to research what we have in common. I have always liked to meet with players outside of the office because it takes the edge off. Let’s go to lunch, let’s not talk about basketball. What is going on in his life outside of basketball? I understand he is a superstar and he won’t just trust anyone right away and may not be open to outside meeting at first.
I also have to have the support of his circles, from family to friends, to trainers. I need to make sure they all know what Joel is doing and that everyone is on the same page. If those people do not trust me, they will outweigh me, and it will be hard for Joel to trust me.
I must also show him I care about him and his development. If he needs me to fly across the country to work out, I will be there. I will give him feedback after workouts. After games, I must be able to provide him with real information through video sent personally. What did he do well? What need to be worked on? What translated from the workouts to the game?
I have to make sure he is prepared. Go back through scouting reports with him, study his direct matchups closely, trying to get him any advantage I can.
Once he knows I am knowledgeable, he feels involved, he opens up to me, and he understands I am willing to work my tail off for him, the results will follow.
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