76ers (0-0) at Celtics (0-0) Round 1 Game 1 8/17/20

[apc]

Al with the worst +\- for the game

[chicagoceltic]

Al with the worst +\- for the game

I am an Al fan and appreciate what he did for us but I am not going to lie, I enjoy this stat and hope he regrets his decision.

[blink]

For a guy who's team built their franchise around him, is young, and had all the time in the world to prepare for these playoffs, Embiid looks totally out of shape and unprepared. If I were a Sixers fan I'd be completely p---ed off with him right now. He's a front-running fraud. He's got a ton of talent, talks a lot, but doesn't put the work in to back any of it up.

Yeah I just don't get Embiid.  He could be dominating the league.  He needs to get his body into the best shape possible, or he is going to shorten his career.  Carrying too much weight I think will eventually not be good for him.  He is one of the most naturally talented players in the game, but he doesn't have the desire to improve that we have already seen in Brown and Tatum.

It is not that easy for big men to get in shape. Easy to rag on Embiid but that is a lot of size he is carrying. Size, not weight. So it takes a little more for him to get in shape than for JB and JT.

Oh I didn't mean to say it was easy.  And to an extent I agree that Embiid has size that can't be worked off.  But he isn't in great playing shape.  He could be lighter, and it would help his endurance.  He could be stronger for his frame and literally be unstoppable in the post.  If he got in better shape he could max his talent.  Almost all the great players today do that in some way.

What I never get about Brown and the 76ers is why you don't just force feed Embiid in the post and get all the other team's bigs in foul trouble.  Maybe they don't have the 3 point shooters they need to implement that strategy, I am not sure.  But when you see how easy the game comes to Embiid in the post, you gotta wonder why they don't do that more often. 

[mef730]

For a guy who's team built their franchise around him, is young, and had all the time in the world to prepare for these playoffs, Embiid looks totally out of shape and unprepared. If I were a Sixers fan I'd be completely p---ed off with him right now. He's a front-running fraud. He's got a ton of talent, talks a lot, but doesn't put the work in to back any of it up.

Yeah I just don't get Embiid.  He could be dominating the league.  He needs to get his body into the best shape possible, or he is going to shorten his career.  Carrying too much weight I think will eventually not be good for him.  He is one of the most naturally talented players in the game, but he doesn't have the desire to improve that we have already seen in Brown and Tatum.

It is not that easy for big men to get in shape. Easy to rag on Embiid but that is a lot of size he is carrying. Size, not weight. So it takes a little more for him to get in shape than for JB and JT.

Oh I didn't mean to say it was easy.  And to an extent I agree that Embiid has size that can't be worked off.  But he isn't in great playing shape.  He could be lighter, and it would help his endurance.  He could be stronger for his frame and literally be unstoppable in the post.  If he got in better shape he could max his talent.  Almost all the great players today do that in some way.

What I never get about Brown and the 76ers is why you don't just force feed Embiid in the post and get all the other team's bigs in foul trouble.  Maybe they don't have the 3 point shooters they need to implement that strategy, I am not sure.  But when you see how easy the game comes to Embiid in the post, you gotta wonder why they don't do that more often.

I've always kind of wondered that as well, and I'm sure that we're not the first. They're not too bad around the perimeter, so I don't think that's the issue.

I wonder if Embiid's body just can't hold up to that kind of strain. He's huge and can push people around, but he does some serious huffing and puffing.

Mike

[Atzar]

For a guy who's team built their franchise around him, is young, and had all the time in the world to prepare for these playoffs, Embiid looks totally out of shape and unprepared. If I were a Sixers fan I'd be completely p---ed off with him right now. He's a front-running fraud. He's got a ton of talent, talks a lot, but doesn't put the work in to back any of it up.

Yeah I just don't get Embiid.  He could be dominating the league.  He needs to get his body into the best shape possible, or he is going to shorten his career.  Carrying too much weight I think will eventually not be good for him.  He is one of the most naturally talented players in the game, but he doesn't have the desire to improve that we have already seen in Brown and Tatum.

It is not that easy for big men to get in shape. Easy to rag on Embiid but that is a lot of size he is carrying. Size, not weight. So it takes a little more for him to get in shape than for JB and JT.

Oh I didn't mean to say it was easy.  And to an extent I agree that Embiid has size that can't be worked off.  But he isn't in great playing shape.  He could be lighter, and it would help his endurance.  He could be stronger for his frame and literally be unstoppable in the post.  If he got in better shape he could max his talent.  Almost all the great players today do that in some way.

What I never get about Brown and the 76ers is why you don't just force feed Embiid in the post and get all the other team's bigs in foul trouble.  Maybe they don't have the 3 point shooters they need to implement that strategy, I am not sure.  But when you see how easy the game comes to Embiid in the post, you gotta wonder why they don't do that more often.

I think you're underselling how much effort it takes him to score, honestly.  Yes, the basket itself looks easy.  But he's still wrestling for position all game long, and while our guys are undersized, they do battle.  That takes a toll.  It doesn't help that his conditioning is mediocre at best. 

Also we were crowding the hell out of him.  That's a lot of the reason why he had 5 TOs and didn't just take 30 shots.  We can't do much with him when he gets the ball with deep position, but credit to our guys:  we did a lot of work to keep that from happening. 

He's good and he got his.  But more goes into it than just giving Embiid the ball and clearing out.

Having said all of that... Do I agree with you that Brett Brown could do more to help his star player?  100% yes.

[chicagoceltic]

For a guy who's team built their franchise around him, is young, and had all the time in the world to prepare for these playoffs, Embiid looks totally out of shape and unprepared. If I were a Sixers fan I'd be completely p---ed off with him right now. He's a front-running fraud. He's got a ton of talent, talks a lot, but doesn't put the work in to back any of it up.

Yeah I just don't get Embiid.  He could be dominating the league.  He needs to get his body into the best shape possible, or he is going to shorten his career.  Carrying too much weight I think will eventually not be good for him.  He is one of the most naturally talented players in the game, but he doesn't have the desire to improve that we have already seen in Brown and Tatum.

It is not that easy for big men to get in shape. Easy to rag on Embiid but that is a lot of size he is carrying. Size, not weight. So it takes a little more for him to get in shape than for JB and JT.

Oh I didn't mean to say it was easy.  And to an extent I agree that Embiid has size that can't be worked off.  But he isn't in great playing shape.  He could be lighter, and it would help his endurance.  He could be stronger for his frame and literally be unstoppable in the post.  If he got in better shape he could max his talent.  Almost all the great players today do that in some way.

What I never get about Brown and the 76ers is why you don't just force feed Embiid in the post and get all the other team's bigs in foul trouble.  Maybe they don't have the 3 point shooters they need to implement that strategy, I am not sure.  But when you see how easy the game comes to Embiid in the post, you gotta wonder why they don't do that more often.

From the 76ers games that I have watched it seems like they try to do that early, he scores a bunch in the 1st quarter and then is gassed for the next 3 quarters.

[hpantazo]

For a guy who's team built their franchise around him, is young, and had all the time in the world to prepare for these playoffs, Embiid looks totally out of shape and unprepared. If I were a Sixers fan I'd be completely p---ed off with him right now. He's a front-running fraud. He's got a ton of talent, talks a lot, but doesn't put the work in to back any of it up.

Yeah I just don't get Embiid.  He could be dominating the league.  He needs to get his body into the best shape possible, or he is going to shorten his career.  Carrying too much weight I think will eventually not be good for him.  He is one of the most naturally talented players in the game, but he doesn't have the desire to improve that we have already seen in Brown and Tatum.

It is not that easy for big men to get in shape. Easy to rag on Embiid but that is a lot of size he is carrying. Size, not weight. So it takes a little more for him to get in shape than for JB and JT.

Oh I didn't mean to say it was easy.  And to an extent I agree that Embiid has size that can't be worked off.  But he isn't in great playing shape.  He could be lighter, and it would help his endurance.  He could be stronger for his frame and literally be unstoppable in the post.  If he got in better shape he could max his talent.  Almost all the great players today do that in some way.

What I never get about Brown and the 76ers is why you don't just force feed Embiid in the post and get all the other team's bigs in foul trouble.  Maybe they don't have the 3 point shooters they need to implement that strategy, I am not sure.  But when you see how easy the game comes to Embiid in the post, you gotta wonder why they don't do that more often.

I've always kind of wondered that as well, and I'm sure that we're not the first. They're not too bad around the perimeter, so I don't think that's the issue.

I wonder if Embiid's body just can't hold up to that kind of strain. He's huge and can push people around, but he does some serious huffing and puffing.

Mike

Yeah I think that's really the reason. I think he just can't handle it physically if they go to him that often. He's already huffing and puffing all game as it is. He looks like a 40 year old vet instead of a 26 year old all-star

[Surferdad]

I'm not one for schadenfreude... except in sports.  I have to admit it.  Especially Philly and New York teams.

Embiid's disappointment makes me smile.

I enjoy watching Tatum drop 32 points in a playoff against the very team that could have drafted him #1, but took Fultz instead.

Horford's probable regrets signing with Philly, never imagining for a second that he'd be sitting on the bench in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter in a playoff game.

Knowing Philly is poorly set up in upcoming years, encumbered by bad contracts to Harris and Horford.

And of course the fact that we again will throw a bucket of cold water on "The Process" for at least one more year - the process that so many thought would inevitably result in a Philly championship.  Philly can't win 4 out of 6 games against us moving forward.

Good times.

And it is against the very team you just left, gotta hurt Al.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I wonder how CBS will rescheme. The Sixers had Horford or Embiid under the rim on the pick-and-rolls. Will they pick with someone else and put Theis in the corner? Will he make Theis shoot more? Will Grant Williams get a chance to make some threes?

[SparzWizard]

I'm not one for schadenfreude... except in sports.  I have to admit it.  Especially Philly and New York teams.

Embiid's disappointment makes me smile.

I enjoy watching Tatum drop 32 points in a playoff against the very team that could have drafted him #1, but took Fultz instead.

Horford's probable regrets signing with Philly, never imagining for a second that he'd be sitting on the bench in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter in a playoff game.

Knowing Philly is poorly set up in upcoming years, encumbered by bad contracts to Harris and Horford.

And of course the fact that we again will throw a bucket of cold water on "The Process" for at least one more year - the process that so many thought would inevitably result in a Philly championship.  Philly can't win 4 out of 6 games against us moving forward.

Good times.

And it is against the very team you just left, gotta hurt Al.

The poor victim might just be Anna Horford, his sister. I follow her on Twitter, must be a lot of people bashing at her even though she seems more pro-Celtics but also gotta cheer for her brother.

[Muzzy66]

For a guy who's team built their franchise around him, is young, and had all the time in the world to prepare for these playoffs, Embiid looks totally out of shape and unprepared. If I were a Sixers fan I'd be completely p---ed off with him right now. He's a front-running fraud. He's got a ton of talent, talks a lot, but doesn't put the work in to back any of it up.

Yeah I just don't get Embiid.  He could be dominating the league.  He needs to get his body into the best shape possible, or he is going to shorten his career.  Carrying too much weight I think will eventually not be good for him.  He is one of the most naturally talented players in the game, but he doesn't have the desire to improve that we have already seen in Brown and Tatum.

Exactly. If the Sixers are wondering which one of Simmons and Embiid to trade, you get rid of the guy who's perennially out of shape and shows no desire to work hard. I'm sure he plays hard in the games, but thats where it begins and ends for him.

I've always been (seemingly one of the few) to say trade Embiid and build around Simmons. 

Embiid is an injury risk, struggles to stay in shape (which only adds to the injury risk), has a childish attitude and an oversized ego, and constantly makes poor decisions when under pressure.   He also has elite skills that he has proven time and time again to be incapable of truly taking advantage of.

Even if he never develops a jumper, Simmons in so unique in that he has the ball handling and passing skills of a PG, the athleticism of a wing, and the size and rebounding ability of a center.  He can play all 5 positions on both ends of the court which is an incredibly powerful asset in today's era of position-less basketball. 

This might sound like sacrilege but I really believe Simmons would be a Magic Johnson-esque talent if he played in the 80s/90s when the league was less focused on outside shooting (Magic himself was not a great jump shooter).

The thing I love about Simmons is you have so much flexibility in building a team around him.  The only real necessity is that you have got to put shooters around him.  Beyond that you have so much freedom in how you build around him. 

* You can run the offense through him as a playmaking PF / C the way Boston did with Horford the past few years
* You can play him at the point and take advantage of the nightly matchup problems
* You can play him as a point-forward (Lebron style) 
* Defensively you can put pretty much anyone with him, as he can defend pretty much anyone in the league

Embiid by comparison has a very specific set of skills, and you really need to build a very specific type of team around him to make the best of his abilities. 

[Muzzy66]

For a guy who's team built their franchise around him, is young, and had all the time in the world to prepare for these playoffs, Embiid looks totally out of shape and unprepared. If I were a Sixers fan I'd be completely p---ed off with him right now. He's a front-running fraud. He's got a ton of talent, talks a lot, but doesn't put the work in to back any of it up.

Yeah I just don't get Embiid.  He could be dominating the league.  He needs to get his body into the best shape possible, or he is going to shorten his career.  Carrying too much weight I think will eventually not be good for him.  He is one of the most naturally talented players in the game, but he doesn't have the desire to improve that we have already seen in Brown and Tatum.

It is not that easy for big men to get in shape. Easy to rag on Embiid but that is a lot of size he is carrying. Size, not weight. So it takes a little more for him to get in shape than for JB and JT.

I don't know man...

Dwight Howard and Al Horford are just two examples of bigs guys who are in the league right now in their mid 30s who look to be in better physical condition then Embiid is in his mid 20s.  It's not great.

[Somebody]

Can we ever catch a break? Just woke up to Hayward spraining his ankle and Jaylen having a thigh contusion, the hell is with our injury luck whenever it seems like we have a shot of winning something? Anyways it's a good win, we'll probably sweep the Sixers at this rate.

[hpantazo]

For a guy who's team built their franchise around him, is young, and had all the time in the world to prepare for these playoffs, Embiid looks totally out of shape and unprepared. If I were a Sixers fan I'd be completely p---ed off with him right now. He's a front-running fraud. He's got a ton of talent, talks a lot, but doesn't put the work in to back any of it up.

Yeah I just don't get Embiid.  He could be dominating the league.  He needs to get his body into the best shape possible, or he is going to shorten his career.  Carrying too much weight I think will eventually not be good for him.  He is one of the most naturally talented players in the game, but he doesn't have the desire to improve that we have already seen in Brown and Tatum.

It is not that easy for big men to get in shape. Easy to rag on Embiid but that is a lot of size he is carrying. Size, not weight. So it takes a little more for him to get in shape than for JB and JT.

I don't know man...

Dwight Howard and Al Horford are just two examples of bigs guys who are in the league right now in their mid 30s who look to be in better physical condition then Embiid is in his mid 20s.  It's not great.

Porzingis too, even Jokic, AD. The list goes on and on.

[Muzzy66]

For a guy who's team built their franchise around him, is young, and had all the time in the world to prepare for these playoffs, Embiid looks totally out of shape and unprepared. If I were a Sixers fan I'd be completely p---ed off with him right now. He's a front-running fraud. He's got a ton of talent, talks a lot, but doesn't put the work in to back any of it up.

Yeah I just don't get Embiid.  He could be dominating the league.  He needs to get his body into the best shape possible, or he is going to shorten his career.  Carrying too much weight I think will eventually not be good for him.  He is one of the most naturally talented players in the game, but he doesn't have the desire to improve that we have already seen in Brown and Tatum.

It is not that easy for big men to get in shape. Easy to rag on Embiid but that is a lot of size he is carrying. Size, not weight. So it takes a little more for him to get in shape than for JB and JT.

I don't know man...

Dwight Howard and Al Horford are just two examples of bigs guys who are in the league right now in their mid 30s who look to be in better physical condition then Embiid is in his mid 20s.  It's not great.

Porzingis too, even Jokic, AD. The list goes on and on.

Dunno about Jokic...not sure his conditioning is any better then Embiid's tbh.  He just works harder and isn't lazy lol

I really feel like Embiid's ego is his downfall.  He seems to think he is god's gift to basketball and his mere presence on the court is enough to tick a box and collect his paycheque. 

I don't think the NBA commentators help the situation either, because every time he's out there rambling on about how great he is and acting like a spoiled child the sports media all seem to praise him to the heavens for it and gush about how much they love him.  That combined with the endless hype he copped coming out of college (the Hakeem comparisons, etc) seem to have very much gotten to his head.

Comparing Embiid to Hakeem is a downright insult.  Hakeem was a two time champion and might well be be the most skilled and best all-around center who ever played the game and yet he was humble from the day he entered the league to the day he retired.

If people are to compare Embiid to anybody historic then I would say a closer comparison would be Vin Baker or Derrick Coleman.  Both highly talented big men who had all-star talent but were held back by questionable work ethic and poor physical conditioning.