The Philadelphia 76ers secured the seventh seed in the East with a narrow 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament and set a first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith didn’t seem impressed with the 76ers’ recent performance. On Friday’s episode of the Stephen A. Smith Show, he claimed that Philadelphia had luck on their side and Heat guard Jimmy Butler’s injury was the reason for their victory. However, Smith proceeded to say something bizarre while suggesting ways the New York Knicks can get past the Sixers in their first-round matchup.
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Previewing the 76ers’ first-round series against the Knicks, Smith ruled out Philadelphia’s chances and claimed that New York would win the series in five games and advance to the Conference semifinals. The ESPN analyst listed the Knicks’ 20-3 record with OG Anunoby in the starting lineup and the team’s 3-1 regular season record against the 76ers as reasons for his faith in them. However, he also talked about some counter-measures, that will upset Philly fans.
Smith added that Joel Embiid hasn’t fully recovered from his meniscus injury and hence, the Knicks should be physical with him during the series. He said,
“You gonna have to pound [Joel] Embiid to the ground. Get physical with him. Mess with those legs, those knees. I’m not encouraging hurt, injuries, anything like that. But damn it, desperate times call for desperate measures. We ain’t won a championship since 1973. I don’t give a damn if you have to untie shoelaces and trip them and twist his ankles. I don’t care what it takes. Do what you gotta do!”
Suggesting a physical playstyle is acceptable, but Smith went too far in demanding the Knicks players attack Embiid’s injured knee to try to throw the 76ers center off. Stephen A. is a well-known Knicks fan. But he’s not an ordinary fan in the street, but a renowned journalist with influence in the NBA community. This kind of rhetoric from him is unexpected, even if said in jest.
While his frustration with the Knicks’ lack of playoff success is understandable, expecting the players to resort to dirty tricks to win a playoff series is unethical, especially when it’s coming from an analyst of his stature.
Joel Embiid has had to deal with injury this season as well
In January, Joel Embiid suffered a displaced flap in his left meniscus against the Golden State Warriors and was forced to miss 29 straight games. The 76ers center underwent surgery to fix his injury and has returned just before the playoffs to lead his team’s charge.
Embiid returned to the lineup on April 2nd and has played in five of the 76ers’ last seven regular season games. They have won all seven to finish seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. The reigning MVP hasn’t looked 100% healthy but that hasn’t affected his production. He averaged 30.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in his last five regular season appearances and scored 23 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished five assists in Philadelphia’s win over Miami in the play-in tournament.
Embiid might not be fully healthy, but he’s still a menace on the floor and impactful enough for Stephen A. Smith to suggest that the Knicks should target his knee injury to slow him down.
