Knicks Veteran Drops Honest Statement on Joel Embiid, Paul George

PJ Tucker recently offered his thoughts on the Sixers' star group, which includes Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Mar 10, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates win with forward P.J. Tucker (17) against the Portland Trail Blazers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

At the end of the week, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to pack up their 2024-2025 NBA season. It marks the first time they won’t make the playoffs since the Brett Brown era.

Many players have come and gone in Philly lately, with most of them getting a taste of playoff action in a Sixers uniform. For one season, the one-time champion PJ Tucker got to share the court with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and James Harden in the postseason.

Now, as a member of the New York Knicks, Tucker will see some of his former Philly-based teammates head into a summer full of question marks. Is he surprised? Not exactly.

Apr 2, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) fights for the ball against Philadelphia 76ers forward P.J. Tucker (17) and forward Joel Embiid (21) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

While Tucker was recently complimentary to Embiid, Maxey, and the newly-signed Paul George, he questions the Sixers’ strategy. Tucker’s compliments sort of resembled a rant from the former Sixers and Knicks forward Marcus Morris, who criticized Philly’s front office for struggling to build rosters with chemistry.

"Individually, all three of them are amazing players, obviously," Tucker told reporters last week via Sixers Wire. "They’ve all played at a super high level for a long time, outside of Tyrese, but Joel and PG. I say it all the time: It’s hard to just put three people together and just think they’re gonna work. It don’t work like that. You gotta build the chemistry. You gotta build the trust. You gotta build camaraderie. You gotta build it all.”

The Sixers battled through tons of injuries across the roster this season. Embiid and George struggled to find consistency with their playing time. The seven-time All-Star center appeared in just 19 games. As for the sharpshooting forward, he barley cracked the 40 mark.

Heading into the season, the two biggest questions surrounding the Sixers were: can Embiid and George stay healthy, and will they be able to find success together? Year one suggests a hard no. While the two are locked in for next season contractually, they aren’t getting any younger.

Plus, health will remain a concern. Embiid is slated for surgery, and George is still actively recovering from multiple setbacks. Next year will have a lot of pressure riding on the Sixers and its stars, and a current player like Tucker doesn't seem sold on the idea it could work at this point.