Joel: unchained.

[eyeatoma]

This organization has failed on every level in the past 5 years. Poor roster building, poor star management, bad coaching, bad contracts, and player underperformance.

Joel absolutely deserves a healthy share of the blame because he hasn’t delivered when it matters most. We can point at +\- all we want but we’ve seen too many years of him crumbling under pressure to pretend it’s all somebody else’s fault. He’s had terrible injury luck & we all know the history. But this team will never get better if we can’t honestly assess his strengths & weaknesses.

Yet he continues to get better every regular season. To me that's a player that's doing that. He saw that he sucked as a passer and now is a very good one.

[ankle420breaker]

This organization has failed on every level in the past 5 years. Poor roster building, poor star management, bad coaching, bad contracts, and player underperformance.

Joel absolutely deserves a healthy share of the blame because he hasn’t delivered when it matters most. We can point at +\- all we want but we’ve seen too many years of him crumbling under pressure to pretend it’s all somebody else’s fault. He’s had terrible injury luck & we all know the history. But this team will never get better if we can’t honestly assess his strengths & weaknesses.

Yet he continues to get better every regular season. To me that's a player that's doing that. He saw that he sucked as a passer and now is a very good one.

One point in the 4th and we're once again going home early.... but he's a good passer now.

Sent from my SM-S901U using RealGM mobile app

[eyeatoma]

This organization has failed on every level in the past 5 years. Poor roster building, poor star management, bad coaching, bad contracts, and player underperformance.

Joel absolutely deserves a healthy share of the blame because he hasn’t delivered when it matters most. We can point at +\- all we want but we’ve seen too many years of him crumbling under pressure to pretend it’s all somebody else’s fault. He’s had terrible injury luck & we all know the history. But this team will never get better if we can’t honestly assess his strengths & weaknesses.

Yet he continues to get better every regular season. To me that's a player that's doing that. He saw that he sucked as a passer and now is a very good one.

One point in the 4th and we're once again going home early.... but he's a good passer now.

Sent from my SM-S901U using RealGM mobile app

Refusing to acknowledge that shows me that you're still feeling pretty emotional about this loss lol. I'm numb at this point. It is what it is. You're not wrong, but theres a lot more to it then what you're saying.

[Jailblazers7]

This organization has failed on every level in the past 5 years. Poor roster building, poor star management, bad coaching, bad contracts, and player underperformance.

Joel absolutely deserves a healthy share of the blame because he hasn’t delivered when it matters most. We can point at +\- all we want but we’ve seen too many years of him crumbling under pressure to pretend it’s all somebody else’s fault. He’s had terrible injury luck & we all know the history. But this team will never get better if we can’t honestly assess his strengths & weaknesses.

Yet he continues to get better every regular season. To me that's a player that's doing that. He saw that he sucked as a passer and now is a very good one.

Don’t get me wrong, I still think he’s great & it’s amazing to me that he continues to improve every season. I’ve just given up on the idea that the only thing in our way is the right group of role players.

I think the team & Embiid himself need to change the way the team functions in order to win. Luckily, we have a guy like Maxey growing by leaps & bounds so we have the right #2 to make that shift.

[Ferry Avenue]

The NFL analogy is instructive as always: you can win in the playoffs in the NFL with the best running back in the league (Embiid) and an average quarterback/passing game (the Sixers' lack of a three-level scorer who can create his own shot) if in fact that running back manages to run for 200+ yards and essentially fuels your offense himself. If the running back is stifled however, your average quarterback/passing game will very likely lose you the game.

That's where the Sixers are year after year, having their playoff hopes hinge on Joel Embiid's scoring 40+ points in playoff games. That simply isn't going to happen with enough regularity to get them past the second round. They need a three-level scorer who can create his own shot. And I would certainly trade Embiid to get one. They were just beaten by one yesterday (Brunson).

[Bum Adebayo]

This organization has failed on every level in the past 5 years. Poor roster building, poor star management, bad coaching, bad contracts, and player underperformance.

Joel absolutely deserves a healthy share of the blame because he hasn’t delivered when it matters most. We can point at +\- all we want but we’ve seen too many years of him crumbling under pressure to pretend it’s all somebody else’s fault. He’s had terrible injury luck & we all know the history. But this team will never get better if we can’t honestly assess his strengths & weaknesses.

Yet he continues to get better every regular season. To me that's a player that's doing that. He saw that he sucked as a passer and now is a very good one.

Nobody has said otherwise though. But, he always crumbles in Playoffs. I though the process was about contending and not about Regular Season greatness?

[Bum Adebayo]

The NFL analogy is instructive as always: you can win in the playoffs in the NFL with the best running back in the league (Embiid) and an average quarterback/passing game (the Sixers' lack of a three-level scorer who can create his own shot) if in fact that running back manages to run for 200+ yards and essentially fuels your offense himself. If the running back is stifled however, your average quarterback/passing game will very likely lose you the game.

That's where the Sixers are year after year, having their playoff hopes hinge on Joel Embiid's scoring 40+ points in playoff games. That simply isn't going to happen with enough regularity to get them past the second round. They need a three-level scorer who can create his own shot. And I would certainly trade Embiid to get one. They were just beaten by one yesterday (Brunson).

A Suns fan on GB looks happy to give us Booker for Embiid, wouldn't that qualify? he is even younger too!

[Ferry Avenue]

This organization has failed on every level in the past 5 years. Poor roster building, poor star management, bad coaching, bad contracts, and player underperformance.

Joel absolutely deserves a healthy share of the blame because he hasn’t delivered when it matters most. We can point at +\- all we want but we’ve seen too many years of him crumbling under pressure to pretend it’s all somebody else’s fault. He’s had terrible injury luck & we all know the history. But this team will never get better if we can’t honestly assess his strengths & weaknesses.

What you're describing there is analogous to an NFL team that's trying to win with the best running back in the league and an average quarterback. Everybody from the front office on down is very likely to look inadequate under those conditions. The game simply doesn't function in a way conducive to that kind of roster construction.

[Ferry Avenue]

We want to see Embiid's leadership for sure. Is he capable of displaying all the qualities a leader possesses? his teammates will be watching his emotions, charisma and passion on the court.

The pronouncement that the Sixers are the better team and will win the series while down 0-2 is consistent with leadership. Having said that and then taking the floor appearing to be his customary emotional corpse self however is precisely the opposite of leadership. If you're going to make the statement, take the floor and lead the team physically and emotionally. If you're going to be your customary emotional corpse self on the other hand, then don't make the statement, because it galvanizes the opposing team and lets them potentially feast on your team without the leadership and inspiration YOU should be providing, having yourself made the statement.

He's in quite the quandary here -- he's essentially put the onus on himself to play and conduct himself in a way he typically doesn't. It'll be interesting to see how he manages that situation. And that has to last beyond just this game tonight. He said they're the better team and will win the series -- now he has to bring it physically and emotionally for the next four or five games in a row, and that's entirely inconsistent with his history in the league.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he sustains an "injury" if and when it appears the chips are too far down to make good on his pronouncement. That would of course make it impossible for him to back it up in the manner required -- he can simply chalk it up to the "injury."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40056475/76ers-joel-embiid-kelly-oubre-jr-miss-shootaround-ahead-g-5

[elchengue20]

Probably he still has a lot of value around the league. He's coming from a 35 ppg and he's only 30 yrs old. People are delusional, you can find a sucker to give up the farm for him. But we can't wait much longer.

[Ferry Avenue]

Great that the team got a win and I’m overjoyed by it today and look forward to the next game, but it’s a huge concern that this team’s leader would take the court last night and appear lethargic and play in the manner he did in a game of that magnitude. You can have a horrible game physically and still appear to have the fire and the will to win one would expect when your team is in that position. Your team certainly needs that energy from you and everyone else on it.

[Bum Adebayo]

Great that the team got a win and I’m overjoyed by it today and look forward to the next game, but it’s a huge concern that this team’s leader would take the court last night and appear lethargic and play in the manner he did in a game of that magnitude. You can have a horrible game physically and still appear to have the fire and the will to win one would expect when your team is in that position. Your team certainly needs that energy from you and everyone else on it.

This, the leadership and passion was missing for sure. I will give him credit in the fact that he was playing bad and so deferred to Maxey, although it took him a bit too much, could've done that in mid 4th quarter and avoid those stupid turnovers.

[Bum Adebayo]

Probably he still has a lot of value around the league. He's coming from a 35 ppg and he's only 30 yrs old. People are delusional, you can find a sucker to give up the farm for him. But we can't wait much longer.

We are lucky, Suns got embarrassed and swept, their fans will overreact for sure, now it's the best time to get Booker.

[Bum Adebayo]

I found it strange that Embiid looked better in OT than in 4th quarter, I thought he would be absolutely done in OT but that wasn't the case.

[Ferry Avenue]

I found it strange that Embiid looked better in OT than in 4th quarter, I thought he would be absolutely done in OT but that wasn't the case.

Quite possible he was inspired by Maxey's performance and visible will to win, as would anybody who was on Maxey's team and had the shared goal of winning that game. If so perhaps he should take a page from Maxey and realize the importance of that in team sports, and avoid appearing to be the opposite -- apathetic and lethargic.

[Ferry Avenue]

The pronouncement that the Sixers are the better team and will win the series while down 0-2 is consistent with leadership. Having said that and then taking the floor appearing to be his customary emotional corpse self however is precisely the opposite of leadership. If you're going to make the statement, take the floor and lead the team physically and emotionally. If you're going to be your customary emotional corpse self on the other hand, then don't make the statement, because it galvanizes the opposing team and lets them potentially feast on your team without the leadership and inspiration YOU should be providing, having yourself made the statement.

He's in quite the quandary here -- he's essentially put the onus on himself to play and conduct himself in a way he typically doesn't. It'll be interesting to see how he manages that situation. And that has to last beyond just this game tonight. He said they're the better team and will win the series -- now he has to bring it physically and emotionally for the next four or five games in a row, and that's entirely inconsistent with his history in the league.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he sustains an "injury" if and when it appears the chips are too far down to make good on his pronouncement. That would of course make it impossible for him to back it up in the manner required -- he can simply chalk it up to the "injury."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40056475/76ers-joel-embiid-kelly-oubre-jr-miss-shootaround-ahead-g-5

"Tonight, obviously based on the circumstances and knowing what was needed, based on what was happening and me not being able to be myself, he just had to do it," said Embiid, who finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 blocked shots.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40061591/amazing-maxey-late-burst-helps-76ers-stay-alive-ot-win-knicks

Like clockwork.

[Bum Adebayo]

I found it strange that Embiid looked better in OT than in 4th quarter, I thought he would be absolutely done in OT but that wasn't the case.

Quite possible he was inspired by Maxey's performance and visible will to win, as would anybody who was on Maxey's team and had the shared goal of winning that game. If so perhaps he should take a page from Maxey and realize the importance of that in team sports, and avoid appearing to be the opposite -- apathetic and lethargic.

Makes sense, by defering to Maxey and then seeing the leadership traits he himself never ever had, he took inspiration, he was always forced (or wanted it) to be the leader, seeing Embiid play better without being the leader proves he cannot be your best player, he is like Davis in a way.