The Philadelphia 76ers will watch the rest of the playoffs from home after losing Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in the second round.
Joel Embiid put the blame on all his teammates after the loss, urging everyone to be better for him and James Harden. Fans were furious at this quote given how badly Embiid played with his 15 points on 5-18 shooting.
“Me and James, we can't win alone. That's why basketball is played five-on-five. We need everybody to find ways to be better.” 😳
– Joel Embiid
(Via @SIChrisMannix ) pic.twitter.com/U0BDThQ0rU
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 14, 2023
Fans couldn’t believe that we are seeing an MVP refuse to hold himself accountable in such a fashion after a high-profile loss.
This y'all MVP? Blud blames everyone else and doesn't take responsibility? Y'all got it
— Monkey D.eron Uzumaki (@CallMe_Kratos) May 14, 2023
Other fans thought this was a fake quote because of how badly Embiid and James Harden played in Game 7.
https://twitter.com/bansky/status/1657889711506038785
A fan reminded everyone of a Nikola Jokic quote from 2019 after playing against the Portland Trail Blazers in the playoffs where Jokic said he needed to be better after an OT loss where he broke the record for most minutes played in a playoff game.
I recall jokic talking to the press after a quadruple overtime loss in which he played 65 of 68 minutes and was like +5 and what he said was that he needed to be better. https://t.co/0DK35k8PrH
— Jordan Scott (@jordandan53) May 14, 2023
Fans were mad that Embiid said something like this after failing to dominate Al Horford on the court.
Boy you had 15 pts. Uncle Al on you and you’re settling for jumpers weakest MVP in sports history not just basketball @JoelEmbiid
— Mr.OnePick/1QGuru🪄#BTB (@mronepick) May 14, 2023
A fan defended Embiid by providing the context of the media questions being asked to Embiid at the time.
Not surprising, but the Joel Embiid quote flying around that people are freaking out about where he said he can't win alone is not at all what it reads like. He had been getting peppered with questions about Harden, and wanted to make a point that it's not just about him
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) May 14, 2023
James Harden was the only 76ers’ starter to not score double-digit points, ending the game with just 9 points. Regardless of the context, Embiid has ducked accountability throughout the playoffs, going through a similar issue earlier in the playoffs as well.
Does Joel Embiid Lack The Right Attitude?
This loss has opened Embiid up to a world of harsh critics. He was upset after Game 6 that he wasn’t being given the ball and followed it up with a calamitous Game 7 performance. He is the only MVP in history that has never been to a Conference Finals.
Given the focus Embiid put on winning the MVP in the regular season, fans are naturally upset that he couldn’t deliver in the playoffs. He had the largest statistical dropoff for an MVP between the regular season and the playoffs, which shows that he may not have remained as locked in as he needed to be.
Joel Embiid averaged 33.1 PPG in the regular season and 23.7 PPG in the playoffs.
That drop-off (-9.4) is the largest by that year's MVP in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/beu4XrfqNg
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 15, 2023
The excuses have run thin and no one will care about what Embiid achieves in the regular season anymore. He will be evaluated by the standard of his playoff performances for the rest of his career, so he needs to start stepping up when needed most.
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