The vibes in Philadelphia are awful. The 76ers are 3-12, and Paul George is injured again. Joel Embiid has played only four games and has looked sluggish. He was called out by teammate Tyrese Maxey for his tardiness in a players-only meeting. The team touted to be title contenders before the season commenced now finds itself fighting for a play-in spot. In Greg Anthony’s estimation, the blame for their horrendous start to the season falls squarely on Embiid’s shoulders.
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In a conversation with Stephen A. Smith, the former Knicks star flamed the 76ers superstar and claimed his lackadaisical attitude is holding the team back from reaching its full potential. Anthony argued that players in Embiid’s position lead by example. However, he believes the former MVP is nowhere close to being a reliable player, let alone a competent leader. Anthony said,
“If what we’re hearing [about Embiid’s unpunctuality] is true, then that means he hasn’t been a pro. Because there’s just no excuse for you being late to everything… Generally your best players are your hardest workers. If you go to Boston, they’ll all tell you [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown are the hardest workers… That’s the formula for a championship-level team. You don’t think [Nikola] Jokic is the hardest worker in Denver?”
He added that the little to no pushback on the allegations levied on Embiid suggests he’s guilty. Anthony concluded that the 76ers’ championship aspirations are a fantasy and they wouldn’t even make it to the play-in tournament at the end of the season.
His ominous prediction sounds preposterous considering how weak the Eastern Conference is and how talented the 76ers are. However, he isn’t the only ex-NBA star convinced that Philadelphia won’t be in the playoffs.
Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams call time of death on the 76ers’ season
On the Run It Back podcast, Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams gave a damning verdict on the 76ers’ championship aspirations. The latter claimed that Embiid and George’s persistent injury issues would ensure the team never competes for the title. He said,
“I don’t think they are healthy enough. I don’t think the chemistry is there. They just haven’t had a realistic shot of building in the direction they would like to build in.”
"It's a wrap for the 76ers this year." – @ChandlerParsons
"The wheels are falling off of this thing very early on in this season." – @TeamLou23
Is it time for Joel Embiid and the 76ers to wave this season's white flag? 😬
▶️ https://t.co/Xoawt9CkOK pic.twitter.com/GbzuhrUY4K
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 19, 2024
While the former Clippers star was slightly subdued in his criticism of the 76ers, Parsons did not mince words. He claimed that the roster is so dysfunctional, that it’d be better if they went back to their roots, restarted “the process,” and tried to land Cooper Flagg. The former Rockets star said,
“[The Sixers are] just wasting [their] year, just ruining [their draft] pick. Why even contend and have a play-in and get a middle-of-the-pack pick next year? You need to be healthy and it starts with Joel Embiid. And he’s not [healthy]…They need to pull the plug.”
The 2024-25 season was supposed to be the year the 76ers completed their quest to win the NBA title. Instead, 15 games in, analysts are predicting the worst possible outcomes for the team, and an empty postseason, which was unfathomable in the summer, is now Philadelphia’s reality.
