Fans React To Joel Embiid Missing Christmas Day Matchup Against Heat: “Bro Stays Ducking Good Teams”

Fans are not happy that Joel Embiid will be unavailable for the 76ers Christmas Day clash against the Miami Heat.

5 Min Read

Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Joel Embiid is having arguably the greatest season of his career, a high bar for a player coming off an MVP win. With his incredible form, he was one of the marquee talents available to watch on Christmas Day, but the 76ers have announced that Embiid has been ruled out due to an ankle sprain. Fans are not happy, mocking Embiid for ducking a good team like the Miami Heat.

“76ers list Joel Embiid as out for Monday’s Christmas Day game vs. Heat due to an ankle sprain.”

Fans quickly started making jokes about Embiid missing marquee matchups.

https://twitter.com/StepBackPascal/status/1739036369908056525

Fans continued to joke about Embiid’s lack of desire to play contenders and racking up gaudy numbers against weak opponents. 

https://twitter.com/tronnniel/status/1739059607522468100

Fans are upset they won’t get to see Embiid be guarded by Bam Adebayo.

Fans claimed Embiid was scared of playing teams over .500.

https://twitter.com/StepBackPascal/status/1739036662704050597

The jokes about ducking elite opposition continued to fly.

Fans said that dodging Bam Adebayo as your matchup for an elite center was not right.

Fans were upset that Embiid had left a hole in the Christmas Day slate.

It’s easy to joke about Embiid missing marquee games, but the logic behind the move cannot be argued. The league has started cracking down on players missing nationally televised games, so missing this matchup is likely not a choice for Joel. Even though his success in December has come against weaker teams, that doesn’t mean he’s ‘ducking’ the Heat. He is genuinely dealing with an injury sustained in Philly’s last game against the Toronto Raptors.

Embiid recently went up against the best team in the NBA, who also have the best defense in the league this season, and dropped 51 points. Joel Embiid proved he’s not scared of anyone in that performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, matching up against one of the early contenders for the Defensive Player of the Year award, Rudy Gobert.

Joel is averaging 40.2 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in December, getting on pace to become the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1961-62 to average more points scored than minutes played.


Joel Embiid On Pace To Repeat As MVP

Even though people want to make themselves believe that Embiid is ducking opponents, there isn’t a big case for it this season. However, there is a concerning trend developing in terms of the caliber of teams he did miss games against.

He’s missed three games this season, all coming in November against the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New Orleans Pelicans. With the impending missed game against the Heat, it’ll mean Embiid has missed four games against teams above .500. I chalk it up to misfortunes as compared to an active attempt to duck teams. In the games he has played against strong opponents or weak opponents, he has dominated and established himself as the front-runner in MVP conversations.

He’s averaging d 35.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists for the season, on pace to also win his third scoring title in as many years. His incredible skill on the court has allowed the 76ers to sustain the blow of trading last season’s assists leader James Harden for expiring salaries and picks. They’re still among the contenders in the east and are primed to make a big addition before the trade deadline.

People want to rule the 76ers out every season after they collapse in the playoffs, but Embiid keeps giving people hope. His legacy will be defined by what he does in the playoffs, so even another MVP win won’t be enough to get his doubters off his back.

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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