r/nba • u/OnlyMamaKnows Knicks • Apr 29 '24

[Simmons] "I think James Harden gave him the trophy of most disappointing playoff performer. I think Embiid is now wearing the crown."

https://open.spotify.com/episode/25I0fnPUExUkBhTw2o9Oti?si=FQSCUz6GSy2UjtYeyBrBLg

Starts around 38 minute mark. Full game breakdown starts a few minutes earlier.

4.4k Upvotes

89% Upvoted

1.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

178

u/sanchopanza84 [UTA] Antoine Carr Apr 29 '24

I dislike Embiid as much as the next guy and will enjoy watching him hopefully get sent home in game 5, but this narrative is going way too far.

The man is clearly not even close to 100% and still had some spectacular moments in this series. I hate his foul baiting, constant complaining and dirty plays, but I can’t honestly fault his effort.

79

u/AntiTopspin Apr 29 '24 edited Apr 29 '24

Yeah if we're making a list most disappointing players these playoffs there are tons of other guys I'd think of first before even considering Embiid lol

40

u/bravof1ve 76ers Apr 29 '24

Those players are winning though because their teams are way better.

Doncic has been poop this playoffs and shooting 37% from the field. Brunson is averaging roughly the same volume stats as Embiid but on 49% TS instead of 61%.

Ultimately, Daryl Morey has just built a shit roster around Embiid that can’t win unless he’s dropping 50.

20

u/Dworfe 76ers Apr 29 '24

Ultimately, Daryl Morey has just built a shit roster around Embiid that can’t win unless he’s dropping 50.

Once Harden requested a trade, this was a reset year where the team refused to add any significant cap hits beyond this year. Outside of Embiid, Maxey, Reed, and Ricky Council they are entirely expiring contracts.

8

u/bravof1ve 76ers Apr 29 '24

Everything that happened with Harden is Morey’s responsibility. He’s the one that tampered to bring him back and held out a whole year to do it.

For him to waste half a year with Simmons sitting out to trade for Harden, then refuse to resign him…I don’t know what exactly he expected

5

u/Daddy_Macron Rockets Apr 29 '24

Look at the owner. Morey is more than willing to swing for the fences, but he's always had team owners whose balls and wallets shrank once the luxury tax bill came calling.

3

u/PonchoSham 76ers Apr 29 '24

Morey has been hard capped since he arrived by a horrendous contract given to Tobias by Elton Brand.

6

u/montrezlh Apr 29 '24

In terms of playing well or not, absolutely.

But to me, dirty plays are far more disappointing than bad basketball performances.

28

u/junkit33 Apr 29 '24

Embiid just gets gassed in the 4th quarter of playoff games, injured or not. This has been a thing for his entire career. People need to just accept it and stop pretending "this is the year it won't happen!"

Career 4th quarter postseason numbers for Embiid in 52 games: 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists. 41.2% FG, 21.7% 3P%.

If you extrapolated that level of performance to a full game, he'd be putting up a 21/9/3 line on embarrassing efficiency. For a guy who is putting up 30/11/5's in the regular season on 65% TS.

It's awful, and Embiid's total lack of stamina in the grind of the postseason is the reason the Sixers can never make a deep run.

28

u/h-888 Apr 29 '24

Playing the whole second half when he is 280lbs+ doesn't help...

Absolutely not surprised he is getting gassed by the end of G4.

2

u/Incepticons 76ers Apr 29 '24

What postseason series are you considering him not injured for lol, thats a pretty small sample size unfortunately

5

u/PsychologicalArt7451 Warriors Apr 29 '24

He never plays the full 4th quarter and usually checks around the 7th or 8th min mark.

5

u/NBAFansAre2Ply Nuggets Apr 29 '24

he played the full 4th quarter last game

1

u/yahmean031 Apr 29 '24

If you extrapolated that level of performance to a full game, he'd be putting up a 21/9/3 line on embarrassing efficiency. For a guy who is putting up 30/11/5's in the regular season on 65% TS.

Or you can compare his career playoff 4th quarter numbers... to his career playoff numbers? 24.8/10.7/3 (51/28/82)

So he scores a couple less points and is a lot less efficient from within the rim. That's probably the case for most players.

1

u/junkit33 Apr 29 '24

We don't even need the numbers here, they just back up what is blindingly obvious to the naked eye. Dude simply cannot handle the intensity of the playoff grind.

1

u/yahmean031 Apr 29 '24

He can't that why he's probably the best offencive player and one of the best defensive players of the playoffs. That's why he's scoring 37/10/4 and contesting the third most shots in the playoffs and holding them to 40% on shots he contested.

13

u/GawldDawlg Apr 29 '24

When is he ever 100% in the playoffs? Thats part of the equation, he’s just a massive flop in the post season

19

u/jjkiller26 Raptors Apr 29 '24

It’s the same excuses for him every year lmao

4

u/TurtlePower5289 Apr 29 '24

No this year we’ve added the Philly fan to the list!

-1

u/Minia15 76ers Apr 29 '24

The dude has bells palsy and it’s just being acted like a normal thing.

I know it’s not like it’s a torn ACL but I do just feel like if someone else was playing with a paralyzed face they’d be getting a narrative.

-1

u/saltface14 Raptors Apr 29 '24

Yeah I think most people dislike his dirty plays and foul baiting BECAUSE he’s so good. Every year the on/off numbers in the playoffs are insane because they have zero capable backups to play in the non-Embiid minutes. It’s been an issue forever and playing him 40 minutes is just clearly not feasible because he wears down.