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The 76ers have a Joel Embiid problem
James Harden made it clear on Monday that he wants out of Philadelphia, but he shouldn't be alone in his request. It's time for Joel Embiid to jump ship, too.
Overnight, the 2022-23 league MVP scrubbed all mentions of the 76ers from his social media account. It could mean nothing, but at the same time, for someone known for his social media engagement, it does look suspicious.
In the context of Harden's harsh words for general manager Daryl Morey, it's hard not to connect the two.
Normally I think this isn’t worth paying attention to at all but Joel Embiid is too online and calculated that I think it is worth mentioning
— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) August 15, 2023
Embiid removed “Processing…” and the location “Philadelphia, PA” from his Twitter bio pic.twitter.com/P1dBLLtckf
On Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said, "I think ultimately, the leverage for James Harden is to create an environment that Joel Embiid doesn't want to be a part of."
Harden might not have to work too hard. Philadelphia's front office has made his job easy.
Embiid is the face of "The Process," a span of seasons in Philadelphia when the 76ers actively tanked to gain better lottery odds. The act didn't go quite as planned, mainly because Philadelphia made some horrible draft decisions.
In 2015, a year after selecting Embiid third overall, the team selected limited big man Jahlil Okafor, who only played 105 games for the franchise in two-plus seasons before being traded, in a draft class that also featured Devin Booker and Kristaps Porzingis.
The next year, Philadelphia chose Ben Simmons at No. 1 overall over players including Jaylen Brown, Brandon Ingram and Jamal Murray. In 2017, Philadelphia used the No. 1 pick on Markelle Fultz, infamously passing on Jayson Tatum to do so.
It hasn't only been in the draft where the Sixers have failed Embiid. After landing forward Jimmy Butler in November 2018, the team played hardball in negotiations the following summer and picked Simmons over Butler, who signed with Miami, where he's gone to two NBA Finals in the past four seasons.
When discussing his time in Philly with former Sixers teammate J.J. Redick, Butler said, "I didn't know who the f--- was in charge... I didn't know what the f--- to expect whenever I would go to the gym ... whenever I'd go into the game... I think I was as lost as the next motherf-----."
No one should feel sorry for Philadelphia over its Harden debacle. It knew exactly what it was getting when it traded for him. After forcing his way out of Houston and Brooklyn, it was only a matter of time before he found something to be unhappy about in Philly.
What's more disappointing is how the front office has gotten in its own way. The organization has made stopgap moves for all-stars but refused to commit to Butler when it had the chance and then tied its fate to one of the most mercurial players in the league in Harden.
The decision-makers within the 76ers organization can't be trusted to build a winner. Over the last decade, the Sixers have only proven adept at deconstructing a roster. It's time for them to get back to what they do best.
More must-reads:
- James Harden saga continues decade of Sixers' crazy summers
- P.J. Tucker appears to defend James Harden amid feud with Sixers
- The 'Recent NBA MVPs' quiz
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