Joel Embiid dust-up reveals the stress he and the Sixers are underneath

Editor’s notice: The NBA introduced on Tuesday afternoon that it has suspended Joel Embiid three video games for shoving a Philadelphia columnist Saturday night time.

PHOENIX — Let’s skip previous the most recent Joel Embiid controversy for a second.

When the Philadelphia 76ers huge synthetic that inexcusable determination to get bodily with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes within the locker room on Saturday night time, threatening and shoving him in response to a column by which the author evoked the names of Embiid’s late brother and younger son whereas criticizing the large man’s conditioning and incapability to remain on the ground, it was merely a symptom of the a lot bigger downside in Philly. And whereas the incident definitely compounded the Sixers’ early-season issues, with Embiid but to play due to ongoing points along with his left knee and his absence now made worse by the prospect of him being suspended by the NBA amid their 1-5 begin, the actual root of all of it is the stress that has been constructing round Embiid for the higher a part of a decade.

It tends to burst pipes, as they are saying, and the locker room dust-up was pretty much as good an indication as any that each one the years of scrutiny are attending to the 30-year-old former MVP today.

Ever for the reason that Sixers took him No. 3 within the 2014 NBA Draft, simply six days after he had surgical procedure to restore a proper foot damage that may finally price him the primary two seasons of his profession, the brutal actuality about being within the Embiid enterprise has been that it’s a calculated threat of the very best order. Simply ask the 5 front-office heads and three head coaches who’ve been on board with the Sixers throughout his time within the league.

Each then and now, something in need of true title competition and a gradual stream of Embiid greatness was certain to encourage angst and scorn within the metropolis that boasts the famously demanding Sixers followers. However the weighty expectations that matter to him much more, and that loom so massive once more after he was given a three-year, $192 million extension in late September, are those that come from the franchise that employs him.

He is aware of Philly wouldn’t be off to this horrific begin if he had been there, with the most recent loss on Monday night time towards Phoenix (118-116) stinging maybe probably the most as a result of the Suns spoiled the long-awaited common season debut of his new co-star, Paul George.

He is aware of the Sixers don’t have a prayer of pouring champagne in June with out him, and that the journey from right here to there has proved so problematic for him.

The hope, as workforce sources shared Monday, is that Embiid might play as quickly as Wednesday’s recreation towards the LA Clippers (until he’s suspended by then). He not too long ago started training in five-on-five motion, labored out extensively earlier than the sport towards the Suns and is predicted to participate in particular person exercises Tuesday in Los Angeles that may set the stage for what comes subsequent. Barring a setback, it appears probably there may be an finish in sight right here very quickly.

As evidenced by the aforementioned contract extension, the Sixers nonetheless imagine they’ll by some means steer this wayward ship to the land of Larry O’Brien trophies. There’s an inner confidence Embiid’s left knee concern could be efficiently managed within the months forward. However there may be additionally a sober recognition that the alternative may very well be true, too, that his physique might fail him but once more and the Sixers will fall in need of their championship desires once more. Powerful questions on what all of it means would inevitably comply with if that situation unfolds.

No matter what comes subsequent, these previous few weeks have been a hellish stretch of Sixers headlines for the ages. Embiid’s well being was on the middle of an NBA investigation late final month (which resulted in a $100,000 nice), and his incident with Hayes sparked one other that’s nonetheless ongoing. It’s by no means good when the NBA gods need to play the a part of each physician and detective with one workforce in such a brief span.

Because it pertains to Embiid’s availability and the most recent spherical of media/fan stress being utilized for him to play, workforce sources say this time has been made all of the tougher as a result of the Sixers really believed he can be prepared firstly of the common season Oct. 23. That’s why they made so many rose-colored-glasses statements publicly about his well being, glossing over the reality concerning the left knee downside that the league finally deemed a reliable concern. In doing so, they honored Embiid’s well-known needs of being as personal as doable in the case of his well being.

However these statements didn’t reconcile with the Sixers’ different acknowledged purpose, their plan to keep away from back-to-backs for Embiid and George that was detailed in an ESPN story in mid-October and which broke the league’s unofficial rule towards disparaging the significance of the common season only a yr away from the start of a large new media rights deal. And when Embiid wasn’t capable of go within the nationally televised opener, the jig was up. Thus, the nice.

Even nonetheless, these previous few months have been so complicated in the case of the reality about Embiid’s bodily standing. On the one hand, league sources say his left knee wasn’t a priority, or perhaps a subject of dialogue, among the many Workforce USA stakeholders through the nationwide workforce’s run to Olympic gold in France — even when, based on workforce sources, the left knee was being managed and monitored on their finish throughout that point.

Embiid had his suits and begins on the ground, to make sure, however Embiid finally got here up enormous within the Individuals’ epic comeback win over Serbia within the semifinal and achieved what he’d gone there to do. What’s extra, league sources say, he by no means missed a apply or a shootaround through the five-week stretch from the workforce’s Las Vegas coaching camp in early July to the championship recreation towards France on Aug. 10. He even battled by an sickness within the group-play opener towards Serbia on July 28, touring individually from the workforce en route from Paris to Lille and participating regardless of the workforce’s leaders making it clear he was effectively inside his proper to relaxation.

If solely the NBA calendar was so condensed.

As all of us noticed in such painful vogue on Jan. 30, when Embiid appeared to push again towards public stress by enjoying towards Golden State and located himself getting left knee surgical procedure every week later, this schedule is a grind of a complete totally different form. The reminiscence of that ill-fated night time, when he labored so uncomfortably early on earlier than getting injured when Jonathan Kuminga fell on his knee, is the sort of psychological hurdle workforce sources imagine is enjoying an element in his reluctance to return right here. There was a lesson discovered then that ought to nonetheless be heeded now, a actuality that shaming Embiid into enjoying simply isn’t the best way to go. Regardless of how a lot the fan frustration in Philadelphia could be constructing.

For Embiid’s half, there was an encouraging change in demeanor late Monday night time in Phoenix. Simply moments after George misfired on a 22-footer on the buzzer that may have tied it, Embiid grabbed a ball and began taking midrange photographs not removed from the place Kevin Durant was being interviewed about his 35-point night time.

Earlier than lengthy, Suns guard Bradley Beal determined to work somewhat additional time and stole the ball from Embiid in a playful method earlier than squaring up in a defensive place. Embiid bumped him in classic kind, then pulled up for a stepback jumper that missed the mark. Beal pumped his fists. Embiid smiled, then gave Beal a hug earlier than they parted methods.

The stress that has surrounded him for therefore lengthy now — if just for a short while — was nowhere to be discovered.

(Picture: Sarah Stier / Getty Photos)