Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers faltered down the stretch in Game 4 against the New York Knicks to lose 97-92 and fall down 1-3 in this first-round series. Faltering in the final period has become a bit of a theme now in this series for Embiid, as he has gone 3-18 in the fourth quarter over these four games.
Game 1: 0-5 FG
Game 2: 2-6 FG
Game 3: 1-2 FG
Game 4: 0-5 FG
I think this is down to Embiid, who has averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in this series, getting tired, not him choking. That’s not an excuse but an indictment of the 30-year-old’s conditioning.
I would only cut Embiid some slack for Game 4, as he had played the entire second half. It is understandable that there wouldn’t be much gas left in the tank in the end, at that point.
With Embiid running on fumes, the 76ers did not make a field goal in the final five minutes of the game. They only scored three points from the line during that stretch and that was it.
As for the rest of the games, there is really no defending Embiid’s poor play down the stretch. Yes, he seems to be playing through injury, but when is he not in the playoffs? I am sure the Bell’s palsy he has been diagnosed with isn’t helping either, but at some point, the injury excuse just starts wearing thin.
A hobbled Embiid is who we are almost always going to get in the postseason. As he gets older, the seven-time All-Star isn’t going to get healthier either.
Former 76ers Coaches Think Lack Of Recovery Time Has Caused Joel Embiid To Struggle In The Playoffs
Embiid has now become a player who is known for having great regular seasons but not delivering in the playoffs. As for why that is the case, former members of the 76ers coaching staff blame the lack of recovery time for Embiid’s playoff struggles.
“Several coaching staffers who previously worked with Embiid in Philadelphia told Yahoo Sports the shorter recovery windows in those middle rounds have played a legitimate role in Embiid’s struggles to advance beyond the second round.”
Well, the playoff schedules are not going to change drastically, so that is quite concerning if true. If his body is frail enough to the point where he can’t play high-intensity games every other day, then is there any hope that he will win a championship someday?
Embiid has put up impressive averages of 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game in the regular season in his career. In the playoffs, those dip to 24.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. That’s still good, don’t get me wrong, but the greats manage to up their game in the postseason,
Last year, Embiid had the largest PPG drop in the playoffs for an MVP in NBA history. He had averaged 33.1 points per game in the regular season but went down to 23.7 in the playoffs. Injuries were again a big reason why that happened and I think that’s going to be the case almost every year moving forward as well.
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