SUMMARY
- Joel Embiid has been under fire for his recent dirty antics against the Knicks.
- Charles Oakley doesn't feel like Embiid is worthy of being compared to Wilt Chamberlain.
Joel Embiid certainly had a powerful season averaging numbers we haven’t seen in a while. Of course, he was the top candidate to win the KIA Most Valuable Player Award this season, but injuries held him back from meeting the requirements to run for it. Things got frustrating over time and Embiid succumbed to the pressure, forcing himself to compete through a torn meniscus.
But now the weight of the Philadelphia 76ers’ past playoff record lies heavy on Embiid’s shoulders, especially since he won the MVP last season. The Sixers made it through the Play-In Tournament and began their first-round series against the New York Knicks. The Knicks took an early 2-0 lead before the Sixers swatted a Game 3 win. It was in Game 3 that Embiid resorted to dirty plays.
His antics helped the Sixers win but at the cost of the Knicks’ players. Embiid gave a cheap below-the-waist shot to Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks fanbase wasn’t happy about it nor was Charles Oakley. The 1994 NBA All-Star claimed he wouldn’t have spared Embiid during his time. Oakley played for the Knicks from 1988 to 1998.
Charles Oakley believes Joel Embiid has become too soft
Before Joel Embiid came into the limelight and took over as the most dominant player in the league, Oakley compared him to Wilt Chamberlain, who was an unstoppable force during the 50s and 70s. Now, Oakley’s changed his outlook on the 7x NBA All-Star. During an interview on Sirius XM’s “The Starting Lineup”, he said, “Everybody says he’s hurt. The Starting Lineup” show. “If you’re hurt, stay home and watch it on TV like everybody else is doing. I don’t want to hear this, ‘I’m giving it my all.’”
Charles Oakley says Joel Embiid is too big to be crying
“If you’re hurt, stay home and watch it on TV like everybody else is doing. I don’t want hear this… He’s too big to be crying. I’m sorry I said about two years ago, he could be the next Wilt Chamberlain. I don’t know. He… pic.twitter.com/0yKG8ZxAyG
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 30, 2024
Oakley criticized Embiid’s style of playing by saying, “You’re a seven-footer shooting 3s. I mean, you stand out around the 3-point line what are the guards gonna do? So I think that you know, they cry too much. All these guys in the league cry too much. He’s too big to be crying. I’m sorry I said about two years ago, he could be the next Wilt Chamberlain. I don’t know. He could be the next Dunkin Donut or somebody because he just cry.”
Embiid has had trouble getting out of the second round of the playoffs and they haven’t since he was drafted. This season, the Sixers made their first Play-In Tournament appearance but only because they did not have Embiid for a good portion of the year.
The Sixers are in danger of losing to the Knicks
Game 5 of the 76ers vs Knicks series came down to the wire. However, Joel Embiid barely showed up leaving Tyrese Maxey to focus on scoring duties. Maxey finished the game with 46 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists while Embiid only had 19 points. The 2023 MVP did a good job in facilitating the ball recording 16 rebounds and 10 assists. The only point of concern is that they won in overtime.
The Knicks lead the series 3-2 and Game 5 was the Sixers’ most recent win. New York was undermanned going into the matchup with seven players in total. Philly needs to have Embiid produce more offensively in order to close out the series. If the Knicks come out healthier in Game 6, this series might end, leaving Embiid with another early exit.