Another day of the NBA playoffs means there’s another controversy to sink our teeth into. This time, the controversy is regarding Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Embiid kicked Nic Claxton in the groin after a play, a clearly dirty play that went unpunished by the referees. Charles Barkley is not happy, saying Embiid’s actions were worse than the chest stomp that got Draymond Green suspended for Game 3 of Warriors vs. Kings.
“I think he should’ve been ejected. I think it was a Flagrant 2. I think his was worse than Draymond’s. He tried kicking a man in his junk. You know what he was trying to do. We all have different opinions, but I think he tried to kick him in his private parts, he should have gotten ejected.”
Charles Barkley on Joel Embiid’s kick:
“I think his was worse than Draymond's, to be honest with you.”
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 21, 2023
Embiid deserves to face consequences because of the pattern that the NBA has set. With a 3-0 lead, the 76ers won’t be too concerned about Embiid being suspended. We shouldn’t have to see top players get suspended in playoff games, but with the precedent that the league office set by suspending Draymond, they may have to investigate Embiid thoroughly as well.
A Refereeing Disaster
The 76ers vs. Nets Game 3 was not a good night for the referees. Fans are currently raging over the decision to not eject Embiid but later eject both James Harden and Nicolas Claxton for offenses that weren’t nearly as brazen as a groin kick.
The NBA needs to start putting in a system to hold referees accountable, as this season is one of the most contentious seasons we have seen from a refereeing perspective. An apology on Twitter after making bad calls that change games won’t cut it anymore, the referees need to have a system of fines in place to force them to make better decisions.
As DeMarcus Cousins once said, this is getting ridiculous.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
