Charles Barkley Claims Joel Embiid’s Poor Olympics Performance Should Be a Wake-Up Call

The Philadelphia 76ers’ front office has been active in the offseason, probably more so than any other team. They have added so much depth to their roster that it will be difficult to discard them as a title contender next season. However, Charles Barkley believes that there’s still one missing piece in the puzzle. And that’s Joel Embiid’s form.

Sir Charles recently joined the newest star member of the 76ers, Paul George on Podcast P with Paul George. The Philly legend gave major props to the 76ers’ management for getting the biggest draw in free agency, as well as other players who will help the team contend for the title. But that could be a tough journey judging by the poor performances that Embiid has had in the Olympics.

Barkley said that the seven-time All-Star’s failure in Paris should act as a wakeup call for him and the Philadelphia franchise as they can’t afford to mess up another season.

Barkley straight up told PG, “I hope this is a wake-up [call] for Joel, this Olympic experience. He has not played well and I’m hoping he’s like, ‘Yo man, I gotta get in better shape.’ Me personally, I think that’s one of the reasons he’s always injured.”

In Chuck’s assessment, Embiid is not adequately fit, which is why he often finds himself warming the bench due to injuries. Barkley said that there’s a lot of scope for improvement as far as Embiid’s physical conditioning is concerned and his failure in the Olympics should work as a sign for him to get in better shape.

Embiid has played two games so far in Paris, one against Serbia and the other against Puerto Rico. In the Serbia game, he played 11 minutes and had four points while shooting two of five from the field. The rest of his scorecard featured two rebounds, one block and no assists and steals.

He did redeem himself a bit in the last game with a 15-3-2 score line. But he shot 6-of-14 from the field.

Sir Charles believes that if the 76ers wish to have a real shot at the title next season, they will need their star player to be at his absolute best. Otherwise, they might fail to make any major impact in the league.