Joel Embiid’s excuse for slow start isn’t nearly good enough for 2-11 Sixers

My dear, beloved Philadelphia 76ers (meant to be read with immense derision and years of pent-up disillusionment) are 2-11. That is two wins and eleven losses for a team that handed out max contracts to Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey a few short months ago.

Everything on paper suggests that Philadelphia is a first-degree title contender, but alas, it's never that simple with this team. Injuries have run rampant and Nick Nurse can't seem to do his job under duress, leaving the Sixers to flounder lifelessly as controversies mount.

Embiid has been at the center of this mess, despite too often being out of sight. Embiid has appeared in three of Philadelphia's 13 games so far. We can't sit here and blame him for being hurt, nor can we blame him for the Sixers' oddly vague handling of his recent knee "injury" that kept him off the floor for two weeks to start the campaign. We can't even blame Embiid, really, for the three-game suspension he served after pushing a columnist who took swipes at his son and dead brother. Fair game, Joel.

What we can blame Embiid for is his god-awful performance across three starts (14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists on .324/.154/1.000 splits) and his lack of seriousness when it comes to the daily grind of NBA stardom. It's easy to overlook Embiid's muted leadership or alleged "laziness" when he's the best player in the world. It's a bit more challenging to be forgiving when the Sixers are 2-11 and he's just beginning to ramp up 13 games into the season.

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Joel Embiid can't fall back on excuses with 76ers' season hanging in the balance

Philadelphia held a players and coaches meeting in the locker room after Monday's blown game in Miami. Joel Embiid was reportedly on the receiving end of criticism from Tyrese Maxey, both a star running mate and a close personal friend. Embiid is late for "everything," per ESPN's Shams Charania, who called it an "elephant in the room," which Maxey addressed.

"Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the 2022-23 league MVP about being late 'for everything' and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff," Shams wrote. "Maxey and Embiid have a close friendship and a history of holding each other accountable, according to those around the team."

Embiid took the criticism to heart, but also expressed his own concerns with the 76ers' situation.

"Embiid accepted the messages sent in the meeting, sources said, but he stated that he is sometimes confused about what the 76ers are attempting to execute on the court."

Honestly, fair. We have all been a little confused about the Sixers' game plan this season. This is all a bit rich coming from the guy who is apparently late for every practice, meeting, and pregame warmup, though. Perhaps Embiid would be more dialed-in with the game plan and his responsibilities if he were more attentive outside of games.

Embiid has earned the benefit of the doubt and all the extreme concessions given to stars in the NBA. There is no chance that Embiid is the only star in the league who's showing up a few minutes late for practice. That said, this has evidently been an issue for years. According to Yaron Weitzman, author of Tanking to the Top, Embiid has been rubbing 76ers staffers the wrong way from the beginning.

That is... not great, Bob! Embiid needs to start taking this job a little more seriously if he wants to accomplish the ultimate goal. The Sixers' margin for error is zero moving forward. Embiid has to play better, and he needs to drag him teammates upstream with him.

Philadelphia should get Maxey back from his hamstring injury soon, while Jared McCain's breakout gives the Sixers more than enough talent to work with. Despite their slow start, the Sixers are 3.5 games out of the No. 8 seed and 5.5 games out of the No. 4 seed. There is still time left, but something has to change — meaningfully change — for Philadelphia to dig itself out of this hole.