Game 51: Sixers @ Pistons 2/7/25 7:30p ET ESPN

[eyeatoma]

This is what happens when the league, team and owners **** with Embiid when he had his best years. Instead of putting together a proper team around him, they **** up with Ben, got a bunch of crap, then got Tobias, and finally, nail in the coffin was over the fawking hill, something everyone saw coming, but blindingly still accept, Paul **** George. When we had the time to put things together, Jo was broken. Too little too late fawk faces... Just end it.

[phillynative]

I love Yabu, but the ideal PF next to Embiid needs to be a defensive anchor—someone like Evan Mobley. This game makes that clear.

I think it's been clear for the past couple seasons. When he was dominant defensively earlier in his career and was more inside oriented the best complimentary PF to me was Irsan Illys. He was a tall stretch 4 who fought for rebounds and knocked down 3s at a good clip.

As he became more offense oriented, he is now less consistent defensively and hit or miss on the boards. Now that he can't jump he is just down right unreliable on that end of the floor now. Players used to be afraid to take it inside against him now I'm sure they are being coached to attack him , he's a gimp.

I agree about Yabu, I think offensively they can be really good offensively but defensively they are slow and wont protect the rim enough.

Larry Nance, Mobley, Turner, etc would be ideal next to Embiid at this stage of his career.

[phillynative]

I feel for Embiid with the injury. Not wanting to jump in traffic for fear of landing wrong is a pretty damn limiting thing for a guy that lives in the paint.

But wtf man. That effort was a joke, and as the guy the team looks to, it trickles down. This type of **** is why I wanted Jimmy so bad. He'd be the alpha of the team, and not put up with that BS. This team has no leader. Paul is a go with the flow guy. Maxey is happy go lucky. And Jo just doesn't give a F half the time. Lowry has the personality, he just stinks now so he doesn't hold weight.

As quiet as it's kept I don't think Jimmy would want to play with Embiid at this stage of his career. Atleast when Jimmy first got traded to the sixers, Embiid was still young and malleable. Now he can barely stay on the floor, consistently takes plays off and his bad habits have stuck. I don't care if they are friends off the court , we should know by now what Jimmy is about.

I think we will see Maxey, Yabu and Mccain emerge as the leaders on this team next season. Kind of sad but it is what it is. Lowry should be on the bench coaching.

[WentzerWuver]

I love Yabu, but the ideal PF next to Embiid needs to be a defensive anchor—someone like Evan Mobley. This game makes that clear.

I think it's been clear for the past couple seasons. When he was dominant defensively earlier in his career and was more inside oriented the best complimentary PF to me was Irsan Illys. He was a tall stretch 4 who fought for rebounds and knocked down 3s at a good clip.

As he became more offense oriented, he is now less consistent defensively and hit or miss on the boards. Now that he can't jump he is just down right unreliable on that end of the floor now. Players used to be afraid to take it inside against him now I'm sure they are being coached to attack him , he's a gimp.

I agree about Yabu, I think offensively they can be really good offensively but defensively they are slow and wont protect the rim enough.

Larry Nance, Mobley, Turner, etc would be ideal next to Embiid at this stage of his career.

I disagree. It wasn't Joel fault we lost. No one was able to stop the beast man from the arc. Why he is not starting for Detroit is beyond me. Tobias also had a good game too with their best player out.

[Negrodamus]

Clear we needed Yabu in this game. Possibly would have been a win with him and I’m not being hyperbolic. The Pistons out rebounded us by 18 boards. Killed us in ORebs. Embiid had 7. We know he’s not good at that, so we need guys with more energy at the 4. Additionally PG needs to be guarding 3s, he’s just uninterested in being in the post at all.

I’m not a Ben Simmons fan, but having the option of throwing him in at the 4 to cover Embiid’s deficiencies is alluring. Just not sure why he’d want to join a team with such a bad record.

[WentzerWuver]

Clear we needed Yabu in this game. Possibly would have been a win with him and I’m not being hyperbolic. The Pistons out rebounded us by 18 boards. Killed us in ORebs. Embiid had 7. We know he’s not good at that, so we need guys with more energy at the 4. Additionally PG needs to be guarding 3s, he’s just uninterested in being in the post at all.

I’m not a Ben Simmons fan, but having the option of throwing him in at the 4 to cover Embiid’s deficiencies is alluring. Just not sure why he’d want to join a team with such a bad record.

Not when the big 3 are playing in the same game. Once Yahu can earn the max, he will start over non max players. That's just how the cookie crumbles in the league of the NBA.

[Arsenal]

Clear we needed Yabu in this game. Possibly would have been a win with him and I’m not being hyperbolic. The Pistons out rebounded us by 18 boards. Killed us in ORebs. Embiid had 7. We know he’s not good at that, so we need guys with more energy at the 4. Additionally PG needs to be guarding 3s, he’s just uninterested in being in the post at all.

I’m not a Ben Simmons fan, but having the option of throwing him in at the 4 to cover Embiid’s deficiencies is alluring. Just not sure why he’d want to join a team with such a bad record.

He won't join us but you're right his skillset would be a good fit. Basically, we need a PF that can switch and defend, rebound, and shoot 3's. Yabu at least gives us 2 of those 3.

Still need to find a long-term solution, which won't be easy. When Embiid was younger and could rebound and move, all we needed was a stretch-4. Now we need more defense and rebounding from the PF position.

I'd look into Jake LaRavia this summer as a young player who could fit that archetype.

[Negrodamus]

Clear we needed Yabu in this game. Possibly would have been a win with him and I’m not being hyperbolic. The Pistons out rebounded us by 18 boards. Killed us in ORebs. Embiid had 7. We know he’s not good at that, so we need guys with more energy at the 4. Additionally PG needs to be guarding 3s, he’s just uninterested in being in the post at all.

I’m not a Ben Simmons fan, but having the option of throwing him in at the 4 to cover Embiid’s deficiencies is alluring. Just not sure why he’d want to join a team with such a bad record.

He won't join us but you're right his skillset would be a good fit. Basically, we need a PF that can switch and defend, rebound, and shoot 3's. Yabu at least gives us 2 of those 3.

Still need to find a long-term solution, which won't be easy. When Embiid was younger and could rebound and move, all we needed was a stretch-4. Now we need more defense and rebounding from the PF position.

I'd look into Jake LaRavia this summer as a young player who could fit that archetype.

If Embiid is a non-factor on the boards, plays lazy on defense, and is a mid range spammer/foul baiter, then I'm more interested in what works long term with Yabu than Embiid if we're being honest.

[phillynative]

We need a Naz Reid or Myles Turner

[Zumramania]

This is arguably not a better team with PG and with (this version of) Embiid than without them, which is crazy! We had young hungry guys playing and we were winning games. Imagine that team + Grimes, that's a tough team. A lineup like Yabu/Bona, Oubre/Council, Edwards, Grimes, Maxey. Add McCain and a taller center who can grab boards and that's a nice team already. A high octane team that could win against many teams, I seriously believe it.
It's crazy to say but we don't even need two max contracts PG and Embiid if they intend to constantly get injured and then return and play like this.
Like this I see us losing most of the games until the end of the season. PG and Embiid just don't care, it's over.

[M2J]

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They hugged at the end

Because Maxey mediated it in real time... But Joel, needs to do better man. You're hurt and not playing, you can't come and chastise one of the hardest working players on the team.

[NYSixersFan]

Just seeing this Embiid/Oubre stuff. That's disgraceful from Embiid.

[Iverson Armband]

The funniest thing about that clip is Joel could have done more on the play too, then proceeds to mock Oubre for running how Joel looks every game

Joel is talented but he is not a serious basketball player. Complete clown. Good on Oubre for going back at him. Decking him there would have been totally justified.

[youngcrev]

This is arguably not a better team with PG and with (this version of) Embiid than without them, which is crazy! We had young hungry guys playing and we were winning games. Imagine that team + Grimes, that's a tough team. A lineup like Yabu/Bona, Oubre/Council, Edwards, Grimes, Maxey. Add McCain and a taller center who can grab boards and that's a nice team already. A high octane team that could win against many teams, I seriously believe it.
It's crazy to say but we don't even need two max contracts PG and Embiid if they intend to constantly get injured and then return and play like this.
Like this I see us losing most of the games until the end of the season. PG and Embiid just don't care, it's over.

No it's not. It's an awful team. We wouldn't be pissed about the effort, but I doubt we'd even be paying attention to do so anyway. That's lottery watch team. Which is what this one should be if they didn't owe that pick.

[mjkvol]

The really distressing thing about all of this is how huge of an unforced error the whole mess really is. It still blows my mind how many here truly believed that signing 34-yr. old career playoff loser Paul f***king George to a max deal was the right play, but then for Morey to follow that up by maxing out a crippled Embiid was almost a cruel joke on the fan base.

I don't fault Morey at all for the foolish comments about Embiid and this team. What the hell was he supposed to say - "man, I really f***ked up and it isn't worth your time to watch this train wreck, as it's going nowhere"?

The fact that the plan is to run it back with a few spare part changes deserves to result in a mass exodus by season ticket holders, unless the real top secret plan is to break the team up and move Embiid, George, and every other worthless veteran before next year's deadline. But that's just another pipe dream.

[MikRay]

The funniest thing about that clip is Joel could have done more on the play too, then proceeds to mock Oubre for running how Joel looks every game

Joel is talented but he is not a serious basketball player. Complete clown. Good on Oubre for going back at him. Decking him there would have been totally justified.

This

[Black Mage]

The really distressing thing about all of this is how huge of an unforced error the whole mess really is. It still blows my mind how many here truly believed that signing 34-yr. old career playoff loser Paul f***king George to a max deal was the right play, but then for Morey to follow that up by maxing out a crippled Embiid was almost a cruel joke on the fan base.

I don't fault Morey at all for the foolish comments about Embiid and this team. What the hell was he supposed to say - "man, I really f***ked up and it isn't worth your time to watch this train wreck, as it's going nowhere"?

The fact that the plan is to run it back with a few spare part changes deserves to result in a mass exodus by season ticket holders, unless the real top secret plan is to break the team up and move Embiid, George, and every other worthless veteran before next year's deadline. But that's just another pipe dream.

It was a fine move IF Joel's knee wasn't wrecked. If we knew, what they knew, that Joel's knee was cooked; then signing PG was a mistake. However, IF Joel's knee was normal the whole PG signing makes sense.

I think all of us fans would never have given the extension and may have shifted towards a youth movement and let Joel either demand a trade or quietly ride off into the sunset with his knee.

[Jailblazers7]

The funniest thing about that clip is Joel could have done more on the play too, then proceeds to mock Oubre for running how Joel looks every game

Joel is talented but he is not a serious basketball player. Complete clown. Good on Oubre for going back at him. Decking him there would have been totally justified.

He was mad because he was planning to take that play off but Oubre forced him to try a little bit. Good for Kelly telling him to f*ck off.

[phillynative]

The funniest thing about that clip is Joel could have done more on the play too, then proceeds to mock Oubre for running how Joel looks every game

Joel is talented but he is not a serious basketball player. Complete clown. Good on Oubre for going back at him. Decking him there would have been totally justified.

He was mad because he was planning to take that play off but Oubre forced him to try a little bit. Good for Kelly telling him to f*ck off.

It's sad because Embiid looks like he was doing what guards usually do to bigger players . Try their best to slow down the bigger player on the break without fouling so their teammate with better size can catch up and contest or block the shot at the rim.
Except Embiid is a 7'2 big with a 7'5 wingspan despite him not jumping this game he could have atleast raised both his arms up but instead he moved to the side in hopes for the smaller Oubre who was trailing to catch up and try to contest.

Oubre who is not the most skilled or smartest player plays hard for the most part , so Embiid choosing that play to call him out when he literally could of just challenged it himself was terrible optics and just bad timing on Embiid part.

Also happy Oubre got bacķ at him and defended himself.

[Zumramania]

This is arguably not a better team with PG and with (this version of) Embiid than without them, which is crazy! We had young hungry guys playing and we were winning games. Imagine that team + Grimes, that's a tough team. A lineup like Yabu/Bona, Oubre/Council, Edwards, Grimes, Maxey. Add McCain and a taller center who can grab boards and that's a nice team already. A high octane team that could win against many teams, I seriously believe it.
It's crazy to say but we don't even need two max contracts PG and Embiid if they intend to constantly get injured and then return and play like this.
Like this I see us losing most of the games until the end of the season. PG and Embiid just don't care, it's over.

No it's not. It's an awful team. We wouldn't be pissed about the effort, but I doubt we'd even be paying attention to do so anyway. That's lottery watch team. Which is what this one should be if they didn't owe that pick.

How did they then win 5 out of 7 games against formidable opponents and nearly won against Denver and Boston as well? How did they look so good on the court? Why do we now look worse with Embiid and PG out there? How did we now lose against Pistons without Cade and Ivey and that "lottery team" won against better teams? And add McCain and Grimes to that team, who are smart and crafty players and great shooters and also a rebounding center, which is what they lack. This is not a bad team at all.
I'm also trying to say NN is not using the full potential of this team and this is irritating.