Charles Barkley has taken aim at 76ers big man Joel Embiid for the load management narrative investigation that surrounds him.
NBA insider Shams Charania revealed this week that the NBA will be investigating, since Embiid will miss the entire opening week and didn’t play in any preseason games due to left knee injury management.
“It’s typical for the NBA to review a team anytime a superstar player misses a nationally televised game, as per the player participation policy,” Shams says.
But, this on top of him proclaiming that he’ll probably “never play in back-to-backs” for the rest of his career, is still not a great start to the season.
This is the same guys that played in just 39 games last season, due to various injuries, yet still managed to play for Team USA in Paris.
Barkley didn’t hold back about the situation on TNT and basically told Embiid to toughen up.
“Man, I don’t have any idea what the Sixers are doing. I don’t think it’s fair,” Barkley said. “[Embiid] just signed for three years, $193 million. Three years, $193 million to play basketball. We’re not steelworkers, we’re not nurses, like people who’ve got real jobs who have to work 40-50 hours a week. We’re playing basketball at the most four days a week. Most of the time three days a week. He has the best backup in the league in [Andre] Drummond.
“If they had to say it — and Kenny [Smith] and Shaq [O’Neal] know this – just say hey I’m going to play 25 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back. Or then Drummond plays, but to come out and say it in advance was stupidity by the Sixers. Period.”
Philly say that Embiid is “responding well to his individualized plan” and will ramp up his return-to-play activities this week, including scrimmages.
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