The Sixers were swept by the Knicks on Sunday, losing their Eastern Conference semifinal series 4-0 after completing a 3-1 comeback against Boston in the first round. Philadelphia was overmatched in Game 4 and wound up losing by 30 points.
“At times, it’s okay to just say the other team was better,” star center Joel Embiid said, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). “… Gotta get better, from top to bottom. Ownership, front office, players, coaches. Everybody just gotta get better.”
Despite the dispiriting manner in which they lost, Embiid viewed the season as a success because of the way he and the team were able to manage his left knee, which has undergone multiple surgeries.
“We came into the season thinking there was not much left…I thought I was done,” Embiid said (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).
The 32-year-old continues to express confidence in his knee, which caused him to miss extended time in recent seasons, tweets Bodner.
“I’m as confident as I’ve ever been [with the knee],” Embiid said. “Obviously, that was the biggest concern. I’m not thinking about it, and as long as we keep doing what we’re doing, I won’t have to think about it anymore.“
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- Embiid said he had complications after his emergency appendectomy, which caused him to miss three games at the end of the regular season and the first three games of the playoffs, as Bodner relays (via Twitter). “The things that I’ve been dealing with, they’ve all been related to the surgery,” Embiid said. “Coming back early, the core was weak, everything was affected. So you’re looking at the hip, the adductor, everything is out of place. Jumping right to playoff basketball, that was tough. But I felt I still played as hard as I could.”
- When asked if he thought about his legacy, the former MVP replied, “I want to win more than anyone. It sucks to lose. I haven’t won anything, so that hurts. But to go home and raise [his son], raise my daughter, look at my wife in the eyes and understand I’m a good man…Really, that’s all that matters” (Twitter link via Bodner)
- Both head coach Nick Nurse and Embiid were complimentary of standout rookie VJ Edgecombe, who was selected third overall in last year’s draft, according to Bodner and Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter links). “That was a hell of an impressive rookie season. He’s a hell of a player,” Nurse said. “It’s not about shooting, scoring, jumping, all that stuff. He really knows how to play. He really has a leadership quality to him. He’s a big-time winner.” Embiid said Edgecombe “has a chance to be extremely special” and hopes to help his teammate continue to develop.
- Veteran forward Kelly Oubre Jr. discussed his impending free agency after Sunday’s loss, saying he loves Philadelphia (Twitter links via Bodner). “I’ve averaged 20 points in this league and still find myself barely getting any contracts…I hope I did myself a good service by being more efficient, slowing down, and playing better overall basketball,” said, Oubre, who added he wanted to be “somewhere where I’m loved. Somewhere where my family can be comfortable…I just want my kids to have somewhere they can call home.”
- Star guard Tyrese Maxey was not happy about Knicks fans taking over the Sixers’ home arena, tweets Bodner. “It absolutely sucks. It just sucks,” Maxey said. “That’s really all I can say about it, man…There’s only one way to put a stop to it: we have to go out there and win these games. It felt louder here for them than it did in the Garden.”
Biid came back with 3 vintage performances against the C’s then went back to being a negative against the knicks. As a C’s fan, I was happier losing to the 76ers than eventually losing to the Knicks, but still WTF? How did they lose to the 76ers?
Easy answer: Center was a weakspot for the Celtics and not for the Knicks
Joel clearly didn’t fall over on a mid range with Kolak closing out on him enough.
Jojo ain’t wrong coming into the season we weren’t expected to do much and we came back from 3-1 to advance to the second round. VJ looked great, overall it was an alright season.
But I mean going forward it feels like a failure if we just run it back next season. Like what’s going to make us better. Last year we atleast added VJ this year everyone just gets older and I doubt we can afford to bring back Grimes and Oubre.
Moving off PG is probably impossible but maybe we can do something with Embiid. No chance we give up Maxey or VJ and everyone else is on next to nothing.
Embiid wasn’t ready really. Like I said earlier. He was done against Knicks. Gave what he had against Celtics. Apparently it was enough then.
It does seem like Embiid is ready for the twilight of his career… He was lucky to even play basketball after all he has been through…
The team just wasn’t built to do much with the Knicks… He had to be superman… And he was gassed after the Celtics series…
Time for him to take a paycut if he wants to be a 6er for life… play lessz get paid less, and fill a role…
Same can be said for PG… And that is the 76ers best hope of upgrading… That their 2 biggest names are ready to give the Maxey and Edgecombe era a shot or not…
They are going to get pennies on the dollar for what they pay both…
Embiid’s knees are completely destroyed, he shouldn’t even be playing anymore.
How is he going to take tbis paycut?
They can always restructure their deals… Extend and restructure…
Too bad players can’t take paycuts in a restructuring.
Embiid can Extend off his 2028 salary and tear up his 2029 Player Option (for 69M), but his 2027 and 2028 salaries are LOCKED at 59M and 64M.
It is extremely unlikely that reducing his cap hit in 2029 (his Age 34 season) will be worth the the cost of giving him additional years into his mid-30s when he has only played 96 games from Age 29-31.
You need an ellipsis class.
Nah… You… Need… to… give… up… on… your… programming… and… be… free… :p
I posted/called it KNICKS-CAVS for the ECF ……. half fulfilled.
I’ll say it once again – Morey’s game plan is to get Embiid healthy enough to play a good stretch of games where he’ll surely ball-out, then hope there’s a team out there desperate (read: dumb) enough to trade for him.
Podcast P ……. best of luck getting any takers for that contract.
I think the NBA prefers an ol’ Detroit NY tussle.
The Mitchell narratives are old and dead.
76ers gotta re-configure their roster around Maxey and VJ, it’s almost a full blown rebuild needed here, but those are 2 cogs they can build around.
Sixers are stuck with those two monster contracts. PG might be able to be moved. Heat might take him for Wiggins and a filler. Embiid is here till contract runs out. It’s a shame really. Cause Maxey and VJ are nice talents. Medical retirement for Embiid.
The Embiid era is over. You are never going to win with a soft big that can’t stay healthy.
Take whatever you can get and move on.
This is Embiid legacy in Philly. He came into NBA injured. And has missed 330 gms in 10 yrs (820 gms).
And —
Sixers haven’t reached the conference finals since 2001. That remains one of the principal knocks against Embiid, who remains the only MVP in league history never to make it out of the second round. BOOM 💣
Oubre’s overall play is seriously underrated – the guy is an above-average defender. I hope he gets paid next year.
I’ve never seen a dude who misses more bunnies at the rim. They can’t keep running it back with him. They have to find better more rounded players than Kelly Oubre.
Gotta find younger bigs ASAP or develop your current young bigs. Embiid and Drummond are wearing down quickly and are a liability on defense.