The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Embiid’s legacy in Philly taking major hit
Trust the Process?
Joel Embiid doesn’t even trust his teammates. At least the ones not named James Harden, just the players — ones like Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey whom he’s won a lot of games with over the years — who he deemed didn’t rise to the occasion for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Yet, when the 76ers truly needed Embiid to play like an MVP, where was he? Embiid scored just 15 points in Game 7 against Boston in a landmark defeat that thrust the franchise into its most pivotal offseason since 2013, when it launched the decadelong program toward a championship.
Doc Rivers might not come back. Harden, too. Embiid will return, though, saying all the right things about how much he cares and wants to win all while the stench of a third Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2019 lingers over Philly.
Jalen Hurts led the Eagles to the Super Bowl. Bryce Harper took the Phillies to the World Series. Embiid’s legacy in Philly is quickly getting stamped as a second-round kind of guy.
Embiid is smart enough to realize that if he has any shot at a championship, he needs Harden — or at least another star — by his side. Harden has a player option for next season.
“I’m going to stay out of it. But I still believe that me and him, we got the chance to win,” Embiid said. “It’s going to take more than us. We’ve all got to look at ourselves. I got be better, and I will be better . ... We can’t win alone, I can’t win alone, me and James, we just can’t win alone. That’s why basketball is played five-on-five. So we just need everyone to just try to keep finding ways to get better.”
Embiid’s critique was quickly ripped by fans, media, even fellow NBA players, who questioned why the All-star needed to drag his teammates into the muck after his disappearing act the last two games was a huge reason for the early exit. Embiid won his second straight scoring title at 33.1 points but averaged — while he played through a sprained right knee — 23.7 points in nine playoff games. The 9.4 drop-off is the largest by that year’s MVP in NBA history.
Philly lost five times in the second round with Embiid. Harden, who turns 34 in August, comes with his own baggage. He scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories but was 0 for
6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses and scored only nine points in Game 7. Harden went scoreless in the second half Sunday.
Harden, who played the last few months with nagging left Achilles soreness, has a player option of $35.6 million. He was vague on what he might do this summer.
“I just want to have a chance to obviously compete,” he said.
Rivers, who is 6-10 in Game 7s, said he expected to return next season to finish the final two years of his contract. But he understands the reality of the NBA.
“No one is safe in our business, and I get that,” Rivers said.