Not many predicted a 4-0 start for the Philadelphia 76ers this season, even less so with Joel Embiid not being one of the main protagonists. The question now, in the minds of the Philly faithful and the NBA community as a whole, is whether it’s just a false start or if there’s actually something special brewing.
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Embiid has shown flashes of his MVP-level brilliance, but his minutes have been greatly reduced due to fears of his never-ending knee issues creeping out again. He’s not happy about the situation and openly criticized his load management in an interview recently.
Matt Barnes thinks Embiid’s frustration is somewhat justified. On All The Smoke, he spoke about the 76ers center’s situation, empathizing with him while also questioning how long Philly can continue to lean on him in the long run.
“He’s not thrilled about the short stints, and I get it, especially as athletes. Once we get our bodies warm… the more you sit out, the more it stiffens up,” said Barnes. That said, the retired Warriors star thinks that due to Embiid’s history of getting injured, the Philly franchise is hardly to blame. He even wondered if Embiid was doing enough off the court to prove he can play longer.
“But the Sixers haven’t figured out how to keep him on the court. Is it the team’s fault? Is it his fault? You hear whispers that he doesn’t put the work in. He shows up late. He does a lot of different things you wouldn’t think you’d see from a franchise player. Some of that is showing up on the court.”
Barnes does have a point. Embiid has missed more games in his career than anyone at the 76ers franchise would care to remember.
At this point, Philly needs to choose how they proceed with the big man. Barnes referred to the seven-time All-Star as a coin flip every time the Sixers suit up. “I think I said this a few weeks ago. How much longer do you go with this Embiid experience? They’ve been trusting the process for a long time.”
“When he’s on the court, he’s an MVP candidate. One of the best in the world. But combined, he’s played about 500 games, including playoffs, and he’s missed over 400 games. It’s almost a coin flip every night whether you have your best player. They need him on the court. I’m sure he wants to be on the court. But is he doing everything he can leading up to that to be on the court?” asked Barnes.
“And also, how long are you allowing him to hold the franchise hostage? This guy makes a ton of money, and he earned every single penny when he’s out there. He’s just not out there that often.”
So far, Philly’s early success has quieted a lot of the noise, but that won’t last forever if Embiid’s situation doesn’t change. The Sixers are rolling without their MVP playing heavy minutes, which says a lot about their depth and coaching.
Still, as Barnes pointed out, this whole thing feels like it’s coming to a crossroads. Either Embiid finds a way to stay consistently healthy and locked in, or the franchise may have to stop “trusting the process” and start redefining it. For now, though, 4-0 feels pretty good in Philly, with rookie V.J. Edgecombe and stars like Tyrese Maxey shining.
