By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A disappointing display for the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid on Thursday.
After his side was forced down to 20-35 in the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season by the Boston Celtics, the 30-year-old center opened up on decreasing individual contributions.
“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now,” he confessed following a losing effort in Wells Fargo Center and putting up 15 points with 3/9 field goals, alongside four assists and three rebounds over 27 minutes.
“It sucks,” he continued confirming rumors about heading to yet another surgery during the offseason, “I probably need to fix the problem, and then I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have trust when you’re not yourself.”
Knee issues marking an injury-plagued career have combined with a foot sprain.
“I’m OK,” he mentioned, “Still managing it. Got to keep going and hope for the best.”
Down the stretch of the Regular Season, the team coached by Nick Nurse is facing an uphill battle to secure at least a spot in the Play-Ins.
“I’m not as dominant as I was a couple of months ago, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t have a lot of impact on the game,” described Embiid, “Just me being out there, I think, helps a lot. My presence, my ability to attract double teams, get guys more shots. It’s just tough because you know you can do so much more. But there’s no excuses. It’s just the way it is. You just have to find ways to figure it out and get better.”
The most recent setbacks have limited Embiid to 17 appearances in the ongoing Regular Season. Throughout his career, he has been featured in 450 out of a possible 875 regular-season fixtures.