Sixers fans have not seen much of Joel Embiid as injuries have sidelined the superstar center for quite a while now. While this isn’t his first rodeo with injuries, his absence from the team caused Philly to lose games that they would have cruised past with a healthy Emiid.
Now that the 2024 Olympic gold medalist was sidelined for the remainder of the season, the 76ers’ odds of making a deep postseason appearance have significantly shrunk. With only a month and a half of basketball remaining, the Sixers might be cutting it too close even if they focus on the games they have left.
While it’s unfortunate that the team would have to finish the season without their star big man, one analyst has come forward to blast the team for their inability to handle the situation better.
Sixers News: Chandler Parsons criticized the Philadelphia 76ers for failing to deactivate Joel Embiid earlier
Former NBA player and analyst Chandler Parsons didn’t hold back with his criticism of the organization, saying that the team could have focused more on their roster if they had deactivated Embiid earlier in the season.
Per Awful Announcing’s Reice Shipley:
“They knew about this injury,” said Parsons on FanDuel TV’s Run it Back. “Go watch Joel Embiid play in the Olympics this summer. Whether that was fair, unfair, selfish, or whatever the reasons you want to call him. He wasn’t himself. This is nothing new. So my frustration, my concern is, this isn’t something that was just going to naturally heal. This is required surgery since October. It’s probably frustrating, too, for the fan base because you’ll see some games where he does get going and he cooks and he’s dominant. He looks like that MVP from two years ago. Just knowing what I know and what they know, it’s not getting better, and it can get worse.
Joel Embiid had a down year in the 19 games he played for the Sixers this season, averaging 23.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 0.9 BPG on 44% shooting.
Given Embiid’s age and most recent injury history, it’s hard to figure out if he’ll still be the franchise cornerstone the Sixers want to count on. Regardless of how the season goes, the team has an interesting offseason ahead.
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