In Los Angeles this week, after their loss to the Clippers, Draymond Green waxed poetic about teammate Steph Curry, who continued to be generous and welcoming despite becoming a worldwide superstar.
A young All-Star asked Green for Curry's number over the summer and was nervous about learn how to ask him questions. Guys across the league see Curry as a “mythical superhero,” Green said, but he doesn’t act like he’s higher than anyone else. He has all the time understood the worth of chemistry and is committed to creating his teammates feel comfortable on the court and within the locker room. As the players adore him, Curry invites them.
Boy, that doesn't sound like Joel Embiid.
A fast overview of the 76ers up to now: Embiid played within the Olympics this summer after which missed the primary six games of this season resulting from what the team called injury management (the Sixers were fined for making inconsistent statements concerning the center's health). made); Embiid was suspended for 2 more games for shoving a columnist who had written a tasteless hit song; Paul George, the team's big free agent signing, has already injured his knee twice and played in only eight games; in a team meeting, Tyrese Maxey reportedly criticized Embiid for being late “for everything”; Embiid was indignant that details of the meeting became public, saying, “Whoever leaked this is a real (expletive).”
Take a deep breath.
The 76ers and Embiid are 3-12. Perhaps greater than anything, they show that the face of the franchise character has enormous power.
Embiid, the 2023 league MVP, is a fantastic player. He is some of the dominant scorers to ever play basketball. But there have been persistent questions on his conditioning, his attitude and now his work ethic.
Embiid has stated that he won’t play back-to-back games this 12 months. His style can range from spectacular offensive power to heinous foul-rushing and flopping. He whines on the officials as a substitute of running back on defense. He faded in big moments late in playoff games.
Whatever leadership gene Embiid appears to be missing, it's not all his fault.
When he entered the league, Embiid joined a company that was attempting to lose. He sat out two straight years and took a scenic path to superstardom that required each mental and physical toughness. He worked hard to recuperate from foot, knee, facial and head injuries. He played through pain and illness within the postseason.
It wasn't Embiid's fault that Ben Simmons imploded either. Or that the James Harden experiment failed – it didn't work in Brooklyn either. Embiid had great playoff games and it's not entirely his fault that the Sixers didn't make it past the second round on this era.
Philadelphia could also turn things around. It's still early and so they're 4 games ahead of the fifth seed in a terrible conference. They probably aren't “This will be fun” Lakers situation.
But teams often adopt the personality of their best player. The Warriors actually know this and so do the Sixers.
The Warriors' record is protected… or is it?
When the Celtics beat the Cavaliers this week, they prevented Cleveland from threatening the Warriors' record of 24 straight wins to start out a season.
The Cavs (16-1) are still on the rise, and their 15 straight wins to start out the 12 months tied with two other teams for the second-longest perfect start.
The Warriors' 24-0 record is protected, but is it possible that the Cavs are setting their sights on Golden State's untouchable 73-9 season?
They play within the East, which is again significantly weaker (Eastern Conference teams are 22-41 against the West up to now). They have the depth to beat absences and their starters are at their best. They can win in a wide range of ways and are well coached.
But it might be shocking in the event that they became a historically great team.
To reach 73 wins, Cleveland would need to go 57-8 the remaining of the best way. That's a winning percentage of .877 – the identical because the 1996 Chicago Bulls, who went 72-10.
Cleveland is anticipated to complete with 61 wins, in keeping with ESPN's Basketball Power Index, which predicts results for the remaining schedule. In Vegas, the updated winning total is over/under 56.5.
It's never a protracted time, but we'll never see the 2015-16 Warriors season again.
Jurassic world
The lack of creativity in so many NBA Cup and City Edition courses was disappointing. Take a swing! Do something strange! Even if it doesn't work, a minimum of you tried. There are so many talented people online who’ve created amazing logos or jersey redesigns, none of whom work for the NBA or Nike.
Then there's the Raptors place absolutely phenomenal. Take notes, other 29 franchises.
Touch of magic
Since Paolo Banchero's oblique injury, Franz Wagner has averaged 25.4 points, 6.3 assists and 6.2 rebounds in 12 games. He and Banchero are the subsequent Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – a two-way alpha wing combination. Can the magic surround them with enough shots?
Caught on the precise night
The Atlanta Hawks aren't nearly as bad as they were Wednesday at Chase Center, where they couldn't stop turning the ball over and blocked all of their shots. They can't be that bad, can they?
The thing concerning the Hawks is that they have real guys. Jalen Johnson is a contemporary power forward. Zacharie Risacher has a number of potential as the primary pick. Dyson Daniels has been a revelation and De'Andre Hunter and Onyeka Okongwu are only improving.
Trae Young is super talented – that was never the issue – but Atlanta might be overdue for a fresh start.
Paul George has a bone bruise in his left knee
Turns out the Clippers' decision to not play along in a Warriors trade wasn't the worst thing on this planet for Golden State.
Bury the cash
I'm afraid I wrote off the Milwaukee Bucks too soon after they were 2-7 and in a spiral. Since then, they’ve won five of six and are 7-9 overall.
The real misjudgment was not recognizing how pathetic the East is. At 7-9, Milwaukee is one game ahead of the fifth-seeded team. Only 4 teams within the conference have a winning record.
So the Bucks will certainly be a playoff team. But the identical problems that set off alarm bells in the primary month of the season can be there after they inevitably face an early exit from the playoffs.
image credit : www.mercurynews.com