Joel Embiid had a sensational performance against the Toronto Raptors, with a game-winner in OT helping the 76ers take a 3-0 lead. Embiid earned the title of scoring champion during the season and is bound to be second-place or the winner in the MVP voting. He has carried that form into the playoffs spectacularly and is now looking ahead at the second round with just one more win needed.
The praise for Embiid has been flowing in from all corners. But certain opinions mean a lot more to players than fans. Those opinions come from legends of the game in former MVPs and champions. Inside The NBA on TNT provides a panel of that assortment in Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith.
The crew has been hard on Embiid before, criticizing his lack of aggressiveness in past seasons. However, they were the first to give Embiid his flowers for his performance tonight and how he has unquestionably been the leader of the 76ers despite the presence of former MVP James Harden.
Shaq has probably been one of the most vocal analysts on Joel Embiid in the last few years, so he had a simple message for Joel’s play.
“He’s looking good. Looking like an MVP to me. Doc did a great job drawing up the play and they executed. The MVP does what he does with the shot.”
Kenny Smith brought up the one criticism of Embiid that the panel has had for years in terms of his propensity to shoot the ball instead of getting in the post. The game was tied when Embiid went to take a three, even though he could have taken the ball into the post and either been fouled or scored an easier shot under the basket against the under-sized Raptors.
“It was very frustrating to watch Philadelphia win that game. Joel, for some reason, wants the ball at the top of the key and not in the box. They were doubling him anyway, but the get the ball in the box. It’s going to open up guys and that is how you make the guys around you better by getting them wide-open shots. But they pulled one out against an under-manned Toronto team. One more to go.”
Barkley did touch upon Kenny’s point about Embiid to shoot but gave him glamorous comments before that by comparing him to Shaq and Hakeem Olajuwon while also breaking down how Embiid’s ability allows Philadelphia to succeed.
“He’s the closest thing to Shaq or Hakeem in the millennium. He is unstoppable, so you have to double him or foul him in the box. AT the end of the game, you can’t foul him either because he can shoot free throws. They’re backing off, so you have to doble him, which is going to leave other guys open. You have to either double or he scores. I don’t know why they gave him the ball there (at the top of the key) and they’re really fortunate because it could have been 2 to 1.”
The criticism of Embiid’s playstyle is fair, but when he makes the risky three-pointer, it should be a non-issue. We can hypothesize about what happens if he missed it, but the fact he made it should be more than enough to quiet that narrative. He can make the shots in the clutch like how other stars can, and if he is confident, he should play how he wants to. It’s great to see the team and the coach also trusts in Embiid.
The evolution of Tyrese Maxey and the addition of James Harden has made this team play a lot more confidently. Tobias Harris playing well in this series is also facilitated by the larger faith this team has built in the personnel around them. Harden has not been aggressive at all so far and has been feeding Embiid. Maxey had a quiet game in Game 3, but up until now, the Raptors have had no answer for him.
The criticisms laid on Embiid by the Inside the NBA crew are understandable but unwarranted when the formula is working. Their praise definitely outweighed the criticism, and Embiid can creep into conversations as an all-time center if he can continue these performances and bring success to Philadelphia.
