Joel Embiid endured yet another throwaway season with the Philadelphia 76ers, but to make matters worse, the seven-time All-Star also had to swallow the pill of watching the rival Boston Celtics win their franchise’s record-setting 18th NBA title.
Embiid suffered postseason elimination in the first round against the New York Knicks, playing weeks after returning from a two-month absence due to a meniscus injury. It marked the seventh consecutive time in which Embiid and Philadelphia failed to move past the Eastern Conference semifinals, and rather than congratulate fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum, the 30-year-old instead took a shot at the league’s highest-paid player — Tatum signed a $314 million contract with the Celtics earlier this month.
“If I go 5-for-20, we get blown out,” Embiid said on the “Check Ball Show.”
Tatum, obviously, didn’t have the red-hot shooting touch that produced a 51-point masterpiece against Embiid and the 76ers in Game 7 of the 2023 semifinals — the most ever scored in a Game 7. Yet, to throw shade at Tatum is a low-hanging fruit move reminiscent of the millions of social media and talk show trolls. Neglecting the defensive pressure Tatum drew of constant double — and sometimes — triple-team coverages throughout the postseason is willful ignorance; especially bad for Embiid, who too, is routinely covered by multiple defenders as arguably the league’s most dominant center.
“He gives me trouble about Jayson. ‘Well yeah, he’s got a superteam. If I had a superteam too, I would win too.'” NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen added.
Hanlen, who trains Embiid during the offseason, also works with Tatum and has for years before the Duke product became Boston’s third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. It’s clear Embiid frustrations, albeit fair but poorly aimed, likely prompted Philadelphia’s front office to invest $211 million in signing eight-time All-Star Paul George, tossing the 76ers back into the contention discussion. On the flip side, Embiid’s reasons to complain, hurl excuses and fire cheap shots, have run out until further notice.
