Things got tense in Philadelphia this week after 76ers star Joel Embiid was accused of making a dirty play against Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. While nothing ultimately came of the encounter, Embiid has been the subject of scrutiny and backlash over his questionable actions. In a recent chat with Barbara Barker of Newsday, Knicks legend Charles Oakley became the latest to give his perspective on the play and called on the Knicks to teach him a lesson.
“I probably would have smacked (Embiid)," said Oakley. "You can’t let him send that kind of message. If he had done something like that (when I played), he wouldn’t have gotten away with it. David Robinson, when he played, he knew what he could get away with. They (bullies) pick a fight they think they are going to win.”
As one of the premier NBA big men of the 90s, Oakley speaks with special authority on the subject of physical and aggressive play on the court. Throughout his career, he was often on the giving end of brutal blows under the rim and he was never afraid to get up close and personal when he felt a competitor crossed the line.
Even for Oakley, however, Embiid's play was inexcusable and he sees him as nothing more than a bully for the Knicks. Love him or hate him, Joel certainly looked the part of a bully during Friday's scuffle. Embiid later denied it after the game, but it appeared to everyone as if he intentionally grabbed Mitchell Robinson's leg as he was going up for a shot and he had to exit the game shortly thereafter. At the very least, it was a reckless move by the NBA veteran and it was enough to spark anger from Knicks fans, players, and coaches.
The 76ers Are In A Dogfight In Round One
Embiid's leg injury slid the Sixers down to 7th in the standings, and it set them up for a match against the Knicks, who came into the series without Julius Randle, one of their top three best players. Despite favorable conditions, however, the 76ers still find themselves down 2-1 and with at least two more games left to play at Madison Square Garden.
They are being tested in every way against a tough and relentless group of players that is content to grind out wins with defensive effort and intensity. With Josh Hart clearing the glass and OG Anunoby making a massive difference on the wing, the Knicks have used their size and physicality to bully the 76ers just like they bullied the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round last year.
For Embiid, the only path to victory against a fired-up Knicks team is to completely dominate the game and that's what he had to do to get a win for Game 3. Unfortunately, the 76ers will need at least three more of those performances to get through this series and nobody knows what will be left of Embiid when it's all said and done. But after taking such a big game coming into this series, he needs to win this thing if he wants to avoid historic levels of humiliation.
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