Embiid Believes Rivers, Morey Can't Be Blamed for Playoff Failure
Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid had a lot to say following the Sixers' Game 6 loss against the Miami Heat last week.
As Embiid returned to the floor two games after suffering an orbital fracture and mild concussion while playing through a torn thumb ligament, his team failed to overcome the power of the Eastern Conference's top seed.
While the Sixers climbed out of their 0-2 hole with two-straight victories, they dropped Games 5 and 6, which ended their season prematurely.
For a team with championship aspirations, dropping two-straight games with bad-effort losses before Game 7 of the second round is highly disappointing.
And when teams go out like that, job statuses become questionable. After Philly's Game 6 loss, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers brushed off the idea his job might be on the line.
"I don't worry about my job, but I think I do a terrific job," said Rivers last Thursday. "And if you don't, then you should write it because I worked my butt off to get this team here. When I first got here, no one picked us to be anywhere. And again this year, the same thing. So if that's how anyone feels, write it, and I'm gonna feel secure about it."
Rivers has taken a lot of heat since the Sixers lost in the second round for the second postseason in a row, but Philly's star center made it clear that most of the blame should be aimed towards his teammates and himself.
"I believe that we have the right people," Embiid admitted after Game 6. "I think at some point, you gotta stop looking at coaching or front office. You gotta look at the players."
Physicality was the Sixers' biggest shortcoming in the second-round series against the Heat. And at times down the stretch of the series, effort and mental toughness was a major drawback for the Sixers as well. While the coach is responsible for the loss, too, the players are the ones who ultimately failed to execute.
"Maybe we're just not good enough," Embiid continued. "I'm not tryna blame anybody, but the players also gotta do their jobs. It doesn't matter how much a player or a GM talks to you or tries to motivate you. If you still go out and you don't do your job, and the other team is more physical than you, that's on the players."
Another second-round exit sends the Sixers into the offseason with some major question marks. While many assumed that a coaching change might be on the horizon, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey shot down that idea already.
With Rivers expected to be back for a third-straight season, the Sixers will have to figure out how to improve their mental toughness and physicality ahead of the 2022-2023 season, as that's where they seemed to have come up short this past season.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
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Lack of Mental Toughness: Philadelphia 76ers veterans Tobias Harris and Danny Green believed that Philadelphia’s playoff struggles in the second round could be attributed to a lack of mental toughness and maturity on the team. Following the Game 6 loss against the Miami Heat, the two veterans weighed in on the idea that the team wasn’t mentally ready to take the next step. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Need an Enforcer: Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid believed that a lack of physicality hurt his team in the second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat. After seeing the impact that a player like P.J. Tucker had on the Heat, Embiid publicly encourages the Sixers’ front office to find an enforcer in the offseason. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
