The Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in a pretty eerie freefall. Already firmly cemented in the early going as one of the worst teams in the league, the franchise has unexpectedly morphed into one of the league’s most unpleasant surprises despite the consensus being high on their chances to compete for the championship this season.
Their start has been so horrible that following their grand collapse in their previous game against the Heat, veteran guard Kyle Lowry called for a players-only meeting, a culmination of the collective frustration over their pile of early losses.
These things tend to get overblown for the most part, but this one in particular was somehow pretty well-documented, and reportedly centered on Joel Embiid with Tyrese Maxey allegedly calling him out for his off-court lapses.
Details from 76ers’ players-only meeting are sure to be music to the ears of Joel Embiid’s haters
Embiid, one of the most divisive superstars in recent history, has already been on the receiving end of much backlash this season despite having only played in three games. From absurd accusations of intentionally missing games to being a reckless shove artist (which he is not), he’s gotten almost every possible form of adverse reaction from NBA circles.
That Maxey, typically soft-spoken and never abrasive, went out to challenge Embiid, specifically for his tardiness, is a big vindication for the latter’s global squadron of haters. While the 2023 Most Valuable Player seemed to be amenable to his young running mate’s plea, he reportedly countered by also deflecting the matter to the coaching staff.
Sure enough, Embiid has been more passive than some of his counterparts with regard to other team’s clear top dogs, and the fact that he had to get called out instead of initiating action himself amid this horrible opening stretch to the season is quite disappointing. The 76ers have accommodated their plans to couch him as much as they can, but he also has to do his part to keep the boat sailing by rowing it himself.
There is still a ton of time left and basketball to be played this season to rule out Philly making a big run and closing the gap day by day, but as of this moment, there is not a convincing reason to believe they are capable of that — not because of a lack of talent which they clearly have an abundance of, but a clear want of more accountability from their leaders.
With the coaching staff also being the subject of much derision, Joel Embiid must take it upon himself to take the reigns from here on out and lead the Philadelphia 76ers, not only on the court where he will dominate anyway, but also outside the confines of Wells Fargo Arena.