The 2024-2025 NBA Season is a long season for all 30 teams and their personnel. It is an even longer season for the Philadelphia 76ers (2-10), who are suffering setback after setback as well as the noise outside of the team.
Much of the damage to the 76ers this season has been by their own doing considering the poor handling of center Joel Embiid with his injury/load management. The management of Embiid’s body has been at the front and center of fans and, now, other player’s expense, including a former teammate of Embiid.
The 76ers are getting roasted for the way they are going into the season trying to ensure that Embiid is healthy enough to not only get into the postseason but play throughout the entire rounds.
General manager Daryl Morey is taking extra measures to get his best players to the playoffs. First, the 76ers have to get to the playoffs, which is getting harder to accomplish as each game passes.
NBA fans around the league have been mocking Embiid for insisting that his days of playing back-to-back games are over.
It isn’t just NBA fans, even some of Embiid’s friends and former teammates are getting in on the opportunity to roast this decision by the 76ers and seven-time NBA All-Star.
Los Angeles Clippers center Mo Bamba talked with ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly on the possibility of playing back-to-back after playing a game on Sunday already.
Bamba responded, “I am not Joel,” in a light response with a little bit of shade to Embiid. He added “there is a plan in place”, with reference to his own minutes.
It should be noted that Bamba and Embiid are reported to be friends on top of being former teammates. Bamba played for the 76ers last season backing up Embiid.
While Embiid might not truly care what others think of him, there is still a lack of respect that goes into the roasting. Embiid was one of the hardest-working players within the last few seasons as he and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic battled for league MVP.
Embiid won the award in April of 2023 before Jokic won the award again for the third time in the previous four seasons.
This season, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of what Embiid has been striving for. The 76ers are at a championship or bust type mentality as they are hoping that a healthy Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George will help them finally get over the curve into an NBA Championship contention.
The problem is that Embiid has only played in two games this season due to injury management, a precaution of his knee injury he suffered late in the Summer and his three-game suspension.
Meanwhile, Maxey has played in seven games due to an injury and George, who has a deep history with injuries, has played in only six games. Philadelphia is the second-to-worst team in the Eastern Conference, only ahead of the Toronto Raptors.
Related Posts
