At the start of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers had high hopes for their new “Big Three” of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, expecting to be serious contenders in the NBA. However, the team has fallen short of expectations, and now, the stars have shared their reasons for the struggles.
“The way I was playing a year ago, it’s not the way I’m playing right now. And it sucks,” Embiid admitted in an interview shared by journalist Derek Bodner on X. “It’s just tough because you know you can do so much more.”
The primary factor behind Joel’s underperformance this season has been his ongoing knee issues, which have hindered his ability to play consistently and at his peak. “I’m not as dominant as I was a couple months ago,” he explained.
The Cameroon-born center expressed frustration with not being able to exert the same level of influence on the court as he has in the past. However, he remained optimistic, adding: “That doesn’t mean I still can’t have a lot of impact on the game. Just me being out there, I think it helps a lot – just my presence, my ability to attract double teams, getting guys more shots.”
Finally, Embiid offered a candid perspective. “There’s no excuses; it’s just the way it is… But my dominant self, I’ll get there,” he said. “I probably need to fix the problem and then I’ll be back at that level, but it’s hard to have trust when you’re not yourself… Just got to keep finding ways to figure it out and get better.”
Paul George also dealing with physical issues
Joel Embiid isn’t the only Philadelphia 76ers star grappling with injuries this season. Paul George has also been dealing with physical setbacks that have limited his performance. “I’m hanging in there,” George acknowledged during an interview with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I’m just trying to give this team everything I have.”
Recently, reporter Shams Charania revealed that George has been receiving pain-relief injections to manage his discomfort while playing for the 76ers. The forward confirmed the information, saying: “The report is true. I’m taking some sorts of medicines to kind of, I guess, play through pain. But yeah, I’m going to try to give everything I got.”
Philadelphia’s struggles continue
These comments from Joel Embiid and Paul George came after the Philadelphia 76ers’ 124-104 loss to the Boston Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night. Head coach Nick Nurse was able to count on the full complement of his star players – Embiid, George, and Maxey – but it wasn’t enough. The loss marked the 35th of the season for the 76ers.
Embiid finished the game with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in just 27 minutes on the court, while Paul George led the team in scoring with 17 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Quentin Grimes also made notable contributions, but the Boston Celtics proved to be too much for the undermanned Philadelphia squad.