And return to the field bordering on the pathetic Joel Embiidwho after making too much of a splash at the start of the season despite not playing, and also having just played three games suspension for having put his hands on a reporter, he “performed” in a jog from 26 minutes and 2 of 11 shooting nel ko per 111-99 of his disastrous Philadelphia 76ers against the New York Knicks.
Extremely slow, clumsy and indolent, Embiid shuffled around the court in a show that was frankly difficult to sit through, at times. And inexcusable given how much time the Sixers and the 2023 MVP spent on “return to match form” while the team, already without Paul George, collapsed in the first matches of the season. It’s only the first for Joel and the positive news is that it probably can’t get worse than this for Philadelphia, which in the meantime has also lost Tyrese Maxey to injury.
Embiid played a prime time of ectoplasmcol left knee wrapped in a bandage That it seemed ballasted (and it would be, in this case, a good motivation for what we saw). In the second half he appeared a little more active but the Knicks took control of the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter and Joel’s expected number of minutes was exhausted in the meantime. Paul George he scored 29 points in Paul George’s first real game of the season, Jared McCain took advantage of the space available with 23 points. Per New York, 24 points by OG Anunoby and a double double from 21 points with 13 rebounds by Karl-Anthony Townsthe match was as valid as all those played during the night for the first day of the NBA Emirates Cup and it was played on a pitch with hallucinogenic colours, electric blue and yellow, almost more intolerable than the sight of Embiid.
Post-game, Joel Embiid talked about “mental obstacles still to be overcome” after the long stop and the change in the management of his physique and his effort, wanted by and with the Sixers after last season. “I don’t know how long it will take, whether one or two games. But I usually always recover quickly“, and there is reason to hope so. “Now I’m back too, Paul George is fit and we’re waiting for Tyrese Maxey. After that, it’s just a matter of being able to play together“.
“Rusty” his coach called him Nick Nurse. “He suffered a bit of fatigue in the first half and in the second quarter, we partially expected it. But I saw him determined and competitive for what he managed to do“, at least that. One might wonder why the 76ers let him play, given the conditions.
