Are Embiid & Simmons destined to be the new Shaq & Penny?

[slightly biased bias fan]

Although I do like the fact that my subject has brought some basketball discussions back from its slumber...did literally anyone actually read what I wrote??? I feel this is the major failings of the forum that nobody wants to read about other basketball opinions and discuss ideas...they just want to talk at you until you agree into submission.

[celticsclay]

With a title like that many on here may think I am another closet Philly fan but on the contrary, I mean that in a some-what derogatory sense.

It is amazing how similar these two duo's are, Joel Embiid and Shaquille O'Neal are both 7'2 mutants who can run the floor like a gazelle and physically impose their game on essentially anyone...Ben Simmons and Penny Hardaway are/were both seen as the heir to Magic Johnson with their amazing size, athleticism and vision. I also see similarities how the Magic and the 76ers acquired these talents...luck. With Orlando it is common knowledge that the Magic lucked into these two franchise changing players where as the 76ers still live by the myth of the 'process', but the reality is, they were also blindly lucky in getting an injury ravaged Embiid to fall in the draft and win another draft where the consensus number one pick was in a tier all to himself in Simmons. Now that I have established the background, my main point is looking towards the future; will we see Embiid & Simmons end up like Shaq & Penny in Orlando, but in reversed roles? Embiid has had multiple injuries already and missed essentially two seasons in his young career could he end up like Penny as someone who had the talent but will never be fulfilled due to crippling injuries? And will Simmons end up like Shaq as someone who wants to live and play under the spotlight of Los Angeles? Simmons was never shy of his love for the Lakers pre draft and given his relationship with Kendall Jenner & LeBron James will he (when able to) flee to the Lakers just as Shaq did before him?

Call me crazy but the similarities are there and without a championship, this 76ers may be in for the same fate as that 90's Magic team.

Many 76ers fans are worried Simmons will bolt to the Lakers at some point for these reasons.