'He doesn't look like he wants it' - Shaquille O'Neal criticizes Joel Embiid's approach to the game and wants him to reach his full potential

Legendary big man Shaquille O'Neal has never been shy about making his opinions known, especially concerning big men in the NBA. From criticizing Dwight Howard to Rudy Gobert, "Big Diesel" is always ready to speak his mind. And recently, he had some choice words for Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid.

In a recent interview with well-respected broadcaster Dan Patrick on his show, Shaq explained why he's so bothered by the recent state of the 2023 MVP. He stressed that the versatile and highly skilled 7-footer doesn't look like he wants to be a superstar in the league anymore.

Oozing with potential

The road to elite status in the league has been a long process for "The Process." He missed two straight seasons after being selected third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, Joel has steadily made his mark in the league before ascending to MVP-caliber status. He continued to dominate last season, averaging 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.

Unfortunately, a knee injury limited the Cameroon native to only 39 games. Though he returned to play in the postseason, posting dominant numbers against the New York Knicks, his team was eliminated in the first round.

After playing for Team USA in the Olympics, Joel missed training camp and preseason due to a knee injury. He recently returned and made his season debut against the Knicks. However, Embiid looked like a shell of his former self, struggling to find a rhythm and posting only 13 points on 2-of-11 shooting in the game.

After seeing that game, Shaq announced that Embiid would not sniff an NBA title unless he changed his approach to the game.

On a recent appearance on the "Dan Patrick Show," he doubled down on those comments, implying that it's disappointing to see someone oozing with potential like Embiid not living up to expectations.

"I just see a lot of potential in him, and I hope he gets upset with what I'm saying and turns it up," "The Big Aristotle" commented. "But we, as fans, know what we see. We can look in the eye of a person and see if they want it. And something's going on with him. I don't know if he's hurt or injured, but he doesn't look like he wants it."

Play from the inside out

O'Neal added that he's also troubled by how today's generation of big men are playing, explaining that he's seeing them play from the outside rather than inside out. According to the four-time champion, big men like Embiid and Victor Wembanyama must make their presence felt in the paint before shooting from the perimeter.

"I love all the big men. As you can see, from shooting all the threes, the big man is starting to slide away and enter into their atmosphere," the self-appointed president of the "Big Man Alliance" surmised.

"You got Wemby, 7'5", shooting threes. I'm not saying don't shoot the three, but that shouldn't be the majority of your game. The majority of your game should be to dominate, get your teammates open, and then, when defenses start panicking and you can't really get a lot of room inside, step out to open it back up," O'Neal added.

Playstyle aside, Shaq's words hold a lot of weight in that Embiid must first decide on which path he will take: play hurt and at less than 100 percent or rest and heal properly. And while the Sixers' chances hinge on his decision, the big man's own legacy is also at stake.