Joel Embiid criticized the Philadelphia 76ers' mentality after their 117-98 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at home, saying they are scared to shoot against zone defenses.
"I feel like, especially tonight, we were playing scared. Basketball is easy. You just shoot it, pass it, move it. If you don't got a shot just pass it. ... I felt like tonight we had a few open looks, [and] you just got to shoot it," said Embiid following the game.
The Mavs played a zone defense on 35 possessions against the Sixers on Friday night. The Heat played zone on 38 possessions on Wednesday, the most for any team on the season.
Brett Brown admitted that zone defenses are affecting his team's mentality.
"I think that the influence that our inability lately, to, like, be put on our back heels against the zone has crept into our defense, our psyche, our spirit. And I can't stand it. This is not who we are. It's not who we are. ... I love coaching these guys, because I respect them. And I feel like our competitive spirit has taken a dent because of our inability to score, and I think that any time you get into a mood swing that affects your defense because your offense is doing something, it needs to be addressed."
