In the new age of NBA coverage, the analysis of on-court play is often tied to the wealth of stories that can be told. Resulting in only partial narratives being broadcasted. This is how a second-round exit for the Philadelphia 76ers ended with the narrative of Ben Simmons as the sole reason for their implosion. But what about Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid?
Joel Embiid and Doc Rivers Should Accept Blame for the Philadelphia 76ers Loss
By no means is this an attempt to exonerate Simmons of any blame. Everyone watched him go from averaging 10 field goal attempts to a 4.7 attempt average over his final three games. The fear of seeing the free throw line spooked him into dimming his aggression. This was highlighted by his reluctance to look at the rim when standing alone underneath it.
Teammate Joel Embiid vaguely pointed out as much after the game.
“I’ll be honest. I thought the turning point was when we – I don’t know how to say it. But I thought the turning point was just, we had an open shot and we made one free throw and we missed the other and then they came down and scored…,” Embiid said.
Credit coach Nate McMillan and the Atlanta Hawks for creating doubt in Simmons’ mind, but Philadelphia was more than capable of winning the series. And losing created news no one wanted to hear because Embiid played with a meniscus tear.
The seven-foot center was just as much of a detriment to the 76ers as Simmons.
Joel Embiid Saved His Worst for Last
No, not the flopping and flailing. Not the taunting either. Look beyond Embiid’s three quarters of dominance. What shines through is his lack of basketball awareness in the fourth quarter. It was as if he did not notice the lead began to dwindle every time he showed his love for mid-range jump shots, fadeaways, and threes.
Instead of controlling the paint, he chose to settle.
For some perspective, Embiid averaged 60 percent shooting on 1.7 shots in the restricted area during the final three games of the Hawks series. His other 5.3 attempts resulted in a 29 percent shooting average outside of that range.
Hence, where coach Doc Rivers comes in.
Coach Rivers Failed to Supply the Goods
Rivers was recruited to Philadelphia to not only bring a championship mentality but to bring change, structure, and discipline. Yet, fourth quarter after fourth-quarter he refused to park Embiid in the paint. Or his center went away from the game plan when the pressure ramped up. Which only makes the optics worse and births questions.
Why is Rivers in Philadelphia if he cannot get his team to listen?
The coach has often been criticized for his lack of in-game adjustments in critical moments. This was no different. He neglected to make changes over the course of games and was still able to skirt criticism. So was Embiid.
All eyes were on Simmons, but after taking a few days to digest, the story should shift. Share the blame or trade the blame. Either way, the organization needs to work on more than just jump shots this summer.
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