The Philadelphia 76ers had themselves a rough night on Tuesday as they fell to the New York Knicks 112-99 on the road for their first loss to the Knicks in 16 games. They were outscored 39-16 in the second quarter and their offense could not get going against a physical Knicks team.
Joel Embiid, especially, had a rough night as he shot only 2-for-7 from the floor on his way to 14 points on the night. He shot 0-for-5 in the first half and the Sixers could not overcome his struggles in this one.
It did appear that he was settling a bit in the second half as he does not have the same explosiveness as he normally does. He has been nursing a right knee injury since opening night and it does appear that it is bothering him a bit.
“It’s not an excuse, but I don’t think I’ve played like this to start the season or any stretch in my career so it’s not an excuse,” said Embiid. “I’m gonna keep pushing and hope for the best.”
While it is admirable that the big fella wants to push through, there is no reason for him to really do this in October. The Sixers need him ready for when the games really matter in May and June more than October at this point.
He has only attempted 13.5 shots per game to begin the season. This comes after he shot 17.6 times per game in the 2020-21 season. Maybe the knee is holding him back in terms of his aggressiveness.
“I really gotta watch the film,” Embiid added. “I texted my trainer right after the game. I told him, I was like, other than the other thing going on, I asked him if I was too passive or if I was just not getting the ball. I gotta go watch the film and see what’s going on.”
Embiid is working on becoming a better passer in the wake of not having Ben Simmons, but for Philadelphia to have the success that they plan on having, they need the big fella to get back to scoring and being dominant in the post.
“You can look at the stat sheet even from the previous games, not saying I’m too passive, but it’s also I want to get my guys going,” he finished. “I gotta give them the confidence to believe in themselves and make shots. That’s been my mentality trying to figure out how to, coming into the season, to be point center. I’m gonna keep working at it. I’m gonna keep working and I’m definitely gonna get better so that’s not gonna last long.”
The Sixers will return home to host the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. That would be the perfect game to give him some rest and ensure he is healthy for the long run.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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