Things are not okay with the Philadelphia 76ers. The team is off to a 2-11 start and sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The much-heralded trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey haven’t played together yet and Nick Nurse is making Eddie Jordan look like Phil Jackson.
All of this came to a head after Monday’s 106-89 loss – the reeling Sixers fourth consecutive loss– with a much-publicized team meeting called by veteran leader Kyle Lowry.
Nurse stayed mum on the meeting during his post-game press conference. However, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the meeting featured Maxey calling out Embiid for his tardiness among other things.
From the Shams Bomb:
Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the 2022-23 league MVP about being late “for everything” and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff, sources briefed on the meeting told ESPN.
Maxey and Embiid have a close friendship and a history of holding each other accountable, according to those around the team.
“Tyrese loves Big Fella, but this is the elephant in the room,” a person involved in the meeting told ESPN.
Players told 76ers coach Nick Nurse they want to be coached harder, and coaches in turn said they want players to practice with purpose and attention to detail.
Embiid accepted the messages sent in the meeting, sources said, but he stated that he is sometimes confused about what the 76ers are attempting to execute on the court.
Embiid, who is off to a dreadful start this season, downplayed the meeting to the media. As Charania points out, Maxey is considered one of the more well-respected, young leaders in the Sixers organization. It wasn’t considered a surprise that Maxey spoke up and criticized Embiid. The two reportedly have that type of friendship.
In other news, the Sixers will need to win nine games in a row just to get back to the .500 mark…
