The Philadelphia 76ers won their first game in compelling fashion, but that is already well documented. Sure, there were a lot of positives to that game, but Joel Embiid’s putrid performance certainly will be. raise some eyebrows and provide many reasons for increased concern among the fanbase.
In his first NBA regular season game since February last season, Embiid pulled off a major upset. He finished the match with just four points, missed eight of his nine shots and grabbed just six rebounds in his twenty minutes of playing time. In fact, he played so poorly that Nick Nurse didn’t even dare trot him out late to close out the match, despite the team facing a significant deficit in the final frame.
Despite facing an inexperienced and undersized Celtics frontcourt, Embiid never looked comfortable doing his thing. He was very cautious in attack and could never get into his rhythm. Defensively he was half a step too slow every time, so much so that it soon seemed wise to play Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona over him.
The 76ers will never admit it, but they should be concerned about Embiid’s playing condition. Sure, this might be expected given his long layoff from NBA basketball, but there’s also no reason to be confident he’ll return to his old form.
Bill Simmons has scathing opinions on 76ers star Joel Embiid
During a recent podcast episodelongtime NBA analyst Bill Simmons doubled down on everyone’s common observation and went even further, claiming that he essentially looks finishedespecially since he no longer has his bounce. According to him, Embiid can no longer jump – something that is difficult to deny.
Embiid’s game has never been primarily based on using his jumping ability. Admittedly, he’s a bit traditional in that regard, although as everyone knows, nothing about his usual production screams pedestrian.
However, if this continues, Embiid and the 76ers in general will be even more vulnerable in some critical areas of the game. For example, their already poor recovery will become even worse. Defensively, their lack of rim protection will only worsen. Those are two important departments that require Embiid to have some resilience.
If we’re being blunt and honest, it’s extremely unlikely that the 76ers will get the MVP version of Joel Embiid. That’s no longer feasible for either him or the team, given his dwindling physical tools. However, there is still a chance for the side to succeed while being propelled by the current version of their superstar, although adjustments will need to be made by all parties involved.
But until then, buckle up because the process could get ugly.
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