Kevin Garnett is questioning Joel Embiid’s offseason commitment. Speaking on his show KG Certified, the Hall of Famer called out the 76ers star for not showing enough progress after a long summer break, arguing that Embiid had plenty of time to recover and improve his game.
“What’d you do in the summer? Bro had enough time to recover and develop,” said Garnett. “If you get April to September, that should be enough time… he’s supposed to be ready for the season.”
Garnett didn’t stop there, continuing his critique by questioning Embiid’s conditioning and mindset to start the new season. After watching Philadelphia’s first game, KG said he didn’t see the same dominant force that once terrorized opposing defenses. Instead, he noticed a more passive version of Embiid, one that lacked the physical edge and aggression that defined his MVP campaign.
“I don’t know if big fella can keep up with this pace, but we’ll see. I give him grace over the next 10-15 games, but I didn’t like what I saw. He wasn’t aggressive enough for me. He had a finesse game, it wasn’t typical Embiid.”
The 76ers captured a narrow victory against the Celtics on Wednesday, going 1-0 to start the season. The win came despite a rough shooting night for Embiid, who finished with just four points, six rebounds, and two assists on 11.1% shooting.
The big fella looked slow and lethargic all night, completely unlike the guy who averaged 33.1 points per game a few years ago. Whether it’s natural aging or years of injuries finally catching up to him, Joel is struggling to get a grip, and it really makes you wonder what he spent all summer doing.
According to Garnett, the offseason is a time for a player to work on their game and hone their skills. For Embiid, however, it was likely spent preparing his body for the grind ahead.
With such an extensive injury history, the 76ers star has taken drastic measures to protect his health, and that includes spending the summer giving his body a much-needed rest. Unfortunately, even after a full offseason of recovery, it seems Embiid still isn’t ready to perform up to his usual standards.
After playing 58 games combined over the previous two seasons, it’s possible that his game is just rusty after a long hiatus. Concerningly, it’s also possible that his performance has taken a sharp decline after years of stress and mileage on the court. For a Sixers team that’s built everything around the star big man, that would be a nightmare scenario.
Whatever the case, the 76ers cannot hope for much if Embiid isn’t at the top of his game. That’s why it’s imperative that he finds his rhythm and digs deep to address his most glaring flaws.
If Garnett’s message gets through, it could be exactly what Embiid needs to reignite his fire. The Sixers are counting on their big man to anchor another playoff run, and the league is watching closely to see if he still has what it takes to dominate the way he once did.
