Getty Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers
Seven-time NBA Champion Robert Horry was none too pleased with Joel Embiid‘s performance after the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics. On a June 1 episode of “All the Smoke,” Horry stated that Embiid should have tried to score more in the post.
“If Joel Embiid would have just got more f***ing buckets by taking his big ass in the paint, they could’ve won that series! But no. He wants to face up and shoot that little ugly fadeaway jumper. Al Horford is killing you because you’re playing in his world. Take him to your world.”
Horry then elaborated on what he meant when he said Embiid should have taken Horford to “his world.”
“You got to take him in your world. That’s why I said by taking your world and bigs trying to cross up little and face up a little, why are you facing a little up? Back his little ass down. I guess I’m too old school. Sometimes when I try to make the game simple, they make it hard.”
Horry won seven championships throughout his NBA career from 1993 to 2009, winning two with the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers, and two with the San Antonio Spurs.
James Harden ‘Torn’ on Next Team
NBA Insider Shams Charania revealed on the June 6 episode of “The Ryan Russillo Podcast” that Harden is torn on who to choose between the Sixers and the Rockets.
“I don’t think he knows. As far as what I know about his mindset, I don’t think he totally is there,” Charania said. “We’re less than a month out from free agency starting. I really think he’s torn with the prospect of staying in Philadelphia or moving on to Houston potentially and returning back to his home.”
While adding that the sweepstakes will be close, Charania previewed what the Sixers’ pitch will be this offseason.
“I think whichever way it goes, it’s going to be relatively close. That’s why as we get closer to July 1, June 30th, those conversations that he’s going to have, as he becomes a free agent, with Nick Nurse and with Daryl Morey, what their vision is for him, what their vision is for that team, what that offer ultimately is going to be versus comparing it to whatever Houston comes with on June 30th or July 1, those are all very important factors.”
Sixers Don’t Plan to Trade Joel Embiid
Despite the Sixers’ lack of playoff success in the Joel Embiid era, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the team has no intention to trade the reigning MVP.
“There’s no plan to trade Embiid at any point,” Pompey wrote. “So, yes, he is very much untouchable. There are some who believe the Sixers should consider trading the league MVP because of his injury history and inability to get out of the second round. But it’s not that simple. Embiid is the face of the Sixers and the main reason why they’ve won 154 games over the past three seasons.”
Embiid is also about to enter the first year of a four-year extension with the Sixers, so the team has complete control over his future even if he made a trade request.
