<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-demarcus-cousins-thinks-its-time-for-sixers-to-trade-joel-embiid');   ga('set', 'title', 'DeMarcus Cousins thinks it’s time for the 76ers to trade Joel Embiid');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Joel-Embiid-dunks-the-ball.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>DeMarcus Cousins thinks it’s time for the 76ers to trade Joel Embiid</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-28T15:13:26-07:00">October 28th, 3:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-28T15:13:26-07:00">October 28th, 3:13pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 Philadelphia 76ers have started the season playing well, at 3-0. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76er-news-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-combine-scintillating-nba-history" rel="noopener">The keys have been Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt</a> and not Joel Embiid as much. The 76ers are also still missing Paul George due to injury. Embiid has been a stalwart down low for the 76ers, but there could be talk about whether it might be time to move on from Joel Embiid.</p><p>That is not an out-of-the-box idea because, as good as Embiid has been, there is only so much he can do in Philadelphia if they cannot win and keep losing in the postseason before the NBA Finals and the Conference Finals. Former NBA player and current analyst DeMarcus Cousins said that he thinks it’s fair to ask if the 76ers are better without Embiid. <a href="https://x.com/RunItBackFDTV/status/1983229932151935070" rel="noopener">He believes the front office is definitely talking about that possibility</a>.</p><p>Cousins said, “I’m pretty sure the front office is having talks about it, what it looks like, what the possibility is, and if they should consider closing this door moving forward.”</p><p>It is still very early in the NBA season, but the idea that the 76ers might be better off without a former NBA MVP seems wild on the surface. It might actually be true.</p><p>One of Joel Embiid’s most significant issues is his health. Due to injuries, he has missed over 400 games during his NBA career. Embiid is also not getting any younger, and he’s already had injury issues, so with age, those injuries might only worsen.</p><p>The other big reason the 76ers could be better without Embiid is the changing play styles in the NBA. Embiid is the focal point on offense whenever he is in the game, and while he has shown to be dominant at times, he’s slow and can hog the ball down low with less offensive movement. That is all on top of the fact that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-fed-up-minutes-restriction" rel="noopener">he has a minutes restriction</a> right now.</p><p>Without Embiid, the focus is on Maxey and Edgecomb, and the ball moves around much more easily and quickly. Despite Embiid’s incredible talent, the offense becomes more dynamic and suitable for today’s NBA.</p><p>Through two games, Embiid is averaging 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and 0.5 blocks per game with a 40% field goal percentage. The idea of trading Embiid is not imminent, but it could continue to grow as an idea, depending on how the 76ers’ season works out.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

DeMarcus Cousins thinks it’s time for the 76ers to trade Joel Embiid

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-fed-up-minutes-restriction');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why 76ers’ Joel Embiid is already fed up with his minutes restriction');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/76ers-All-Star-Joel-Embiid-1.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Why 76ers’ Joel Embiid is already fed up with his minutes restriction</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T07:30:56-07:00">October 27th, 7:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T07:30:56-07:00">October 27th, 7:30am</time><address><a>Rishabh Bhatnagar</a>Rishabh is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-bill-simmons-hits-joel-embiid-done-label-young-sixers-flourish">Philadelphia 76ers have started the season 2-0 after beating the likes</a> of the Charlotte Hornets and the Boston Celtics in their first two matches. Once again, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-delivers-hilarious-mic-drop-past-bench-struggles">the spotlight was on Joel Embiid</a>, who has been on a minutes restriction thus far after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason.</p><p>“I’d rather not minute restrictions, but I’d rather get it out of the way… Longer stints, you’ll actually be able to let the game come to you. But then again, longer stints also means you might be done by halftime. But I can’t sit for too long,” he said about <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25265576-76ers-joel-embiid-talks-frustration-shorter-stints-amid-minutes-restriction" rel="noopener">the 20 minutes he has logged in</a> the two outings thus far, per Bleacher Report.</p><p>And while he completely trusts the coaching staff around him to decide his minutes, Embiid also acknowledges the need for him to play consistent basketball.</p><p>“Being in shape is one thing, but being in basketball shape is another thing. You need to play, and you need to play a lot. I guess I trust them, and until I’m over it, I’m going to keep trying,” he revealed.</p><p>Joel Embiid returned from offseason knee surgery after an approximately eight-month layoff dating to late February last season. He played just 19 games last season and no season in his career with more than 68 games.</p><p>Embiid struggled in the opener against the Celtics, finishing with four points and six rebounds on 1-for-9 shooting. He reached his 20-minute limit with 9:18 remaining in the fourth quarter and watched from the bench as Philadelphia rallied to a 117–116 win.</p><p>“I have no idea. I make my case every day. If they listen to me, good. If they don’t, I guess that’s on them,” Embiid said when asked if he knew when the minutes might increase.</p><p>In the home opener against the Hornets, he produced 20 points on 7-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-6 from three, and hit his 20-minute cap with more than seven minutes left in the third quarter. For the second straight game, he was a spectator for a fourth-quarter comeback.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why 76ers’ Joel Embiid is already fed up with his minutes restriction

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-delivers-hilarious-mic-drop-past-bench-struggles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Joel Embiid delivers hilarious mic drop on 76ers’ past bench struggles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Joel-Embiid-delivers-hilarious-mic-drop-on-Phillys-past-bench-struggles.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Joel Embiid delivers hilarious mic drop on 76ers’ past bench struggles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T07:30:07-07:00">October 26th, 7:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T07:30:07-07:00">October 26th, 7:30am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a flying start this season, winning their first two games against the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets, respectively. But it wasn’t just the victories that caught fans’ attention; it was also Joel Embiid’s hilarious response to a reporter’s question about the team’s improved play without him on the court.</p><p>During the postgame press conference following Philly’s 125-121 win over Charlotte, a reporter pointed out that the Sixers have looked surprisingly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-bill-simmons-hits-joel-embiid-done-label-young-sixers-flourish">comfortable even when Embiid isn’t playing</a>, something that had been a glaring issue in previous years. The reigning MVP wasted no time dropping a line that perfectly blended honesty and humor.</p><p>“It’s been 12 years. I’ll take it.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reporter: “The team is playing better when you're not playing which was a big problem last year obviously.”</p><p>Joel Embiid: “It's been 12 years. I'll take it.”</p><p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/MrBuckBuckNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrBuckBuckNBA</a>)<a href="https://t.co/VGlWlyd434">pic.twitter.com/VGlWlyd434</a></p><p>— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1982286291413934151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It was the ultimate mic drop moment from the 76ers’ franchise cornerstone, who seemed genuinely amused and relieved by the progress. Embiid went on to add, “If the team can perform like this in the important games or in the playoffs, and if this is the effort when I am not on the floor, then I am happy not to play.”</p><p>His comments, though lighthearted, highlight something deeper: for years, the Sixers’ bench units have struggled mightily when Embiid sits. The non-Embiid minutes have long been a pain point in Philadelphia’s playoff runs, often resulting in momentum-swinging collapses.</p><p>So far this season, however, the story looks different. In the Sixers’ opening-night win against the Celtics, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-fans-feel-joel-embiid-ugly-4-point-night-celtics">Embiid struggled and scored only four points</a> in 20 minutes. But against the Hornets, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-silences-critics-comeback-1st-half-vs-hornets">he quickly bounced back</a> and scored 20 points, albeit in just 20 minutes as Andre Drummond got important closing minutes as the 76ers came back. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s supporting cast stepped up impressively, moving the ball fluidly and controlling the game on both ends.</p><p>New head coach Nick Nurse appears to have unlocked more balance in the rotation, with players like Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. shining early.</p><p>The 76ers now turn their focus to their next test against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 28. If Philadelphia’s depth continues to shine, Embiid may just keep smiling while dropping more iconic one-liners.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Joel Embiid delivers hilarious mic drop on 76ers’ past bench struggles

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-joel-embiid-silences-critics-comeback-1st-half-vs-hornets');   ga('set', 'title', '76ers’ Joel Embiid silences critics with comeback 1st half vs. Hornets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Joel-Embiid.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>76ers’ Joel Embiid silences critics with comeback 1st half vs. Hornets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-25T18:25:59-07:00">October 25th, 6:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-25T18:27:14-07:00">October 25th, 6:27pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There’s no two ways about it: <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-fans-feel-joel-embiid-ugly-4-point-night-celtics">Joel Embiid had a rough outing in the Philadelphia 76ers’ opening night win</a> over the Boston Celtics.</p><p>Taking the court under a minutes restriction as he continues to work back from knee surgery, Embiid turned in one of his quietest games of his career, scoring just four points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field, while barely even attempting to bully up on the Celtics’ defenders in the painted area. His -16 +/- ranked last on the team, one of only three players with a negative rating in the game, and critics like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-bill-simmons-hits-joel-embiid-done-label-young-sixers-flourish">Bill Simmons openly wondered if Embiid was cooked based on the contest</a>.</p><p>After two days of fans openly questioning if the 76ers were suddenly Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe’s team, Embiid took the court in his usual starting spot in Game 2 against the Charlotte Hornets and promptly reminded folks who he is, <a href="https://x.com/PHLSixersNation/status/1982247402837885380" rel="noopener">scoring 16 points in 15 minutes</a> while amassing four assists, two rebounds, and a steal while draining three of his five attempts from 3.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Halftime | Sixers 61 – Hornets 58</p><p>Grimes: 17 pts | 3 ast | 3 reb<br>Embiid: 16 pts | 4 ast | 2 reb | 1 stl<br>Maxey: 14pts | 6 ast | 2 reb | 1 blk</p><p>The Sixers are shooting 54.2% from three on 13/24 shooting.<a href="https://t.co/YvYp4E3K7E">pic.twitter.com/YvYp4E3K7E</a></p><p>— Sixers Nation (@PHLSixersNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/PHLSixersNation/status/1982247402837885380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Huh, over a point a minute? Goodness, that sounds like vintage Embiid.</p><p>Now granted, Embiid still doesn’t look completely healthy, moving around with a touch more labor than when he’s at 100 percent, but “The Process” did a little bit of everything in the first half, and as the game transitioned into the third, he continued to do just that, scoring 20 in 20 while helping Quentin Grimes get his own mojo back after a down effort in the opener.</p><p>Is Embiid back to being a point-per-game scorer? Will the offense return to his tried-and-true brand of methodical backpeddling to the basket with shooters around him? Or will Nick Nurse remain committed to pace and space with his young guards, using Embiid as a distributor just as often as an ISO scorer? Fans will find out soon enough, but for now, all the fear of Embiid being BBQ chicken might just be over.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

76ers’ Joel Embiid silences critics with comeback 1st half vs. Hornets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-bill-simmons-hits-joel-embiid-done-label-young-sixers-flourish');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bill Simmons hits Joel Embiid with ‘done’ label as young 76ers flourish');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/76ers-center-Joel-Embiid-21-wipes-sweat-from-his-face-during-the-second-quarter-against-the-Boston-Celtics.jpg"><figcaption>© Winslow Townson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bill Simmons hits Joel Embiid with ‘done’ label as young 76ers flourish</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T10:40:18-07:00">October 24th, 10:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T14:37:14-07:00">October 24th, 2:37pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-vj-edgecombe-breaks-allen-iverson-franchise-record-rookie-debut">Philadelphia 76ers’ 117-116 win over the Boston Celtics</a> in their season opener Wednesday night, longtime NBA analyst Bill Simmons questioned the current state of Joel Embiid’s game, calling the former MVP “<a href="https://youtu.be/weB4lKlCD_w?t=3506" rel="noopener">done</a>” amid the rise of a younger Sixers core.</p><p>On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Ringer founder offered a sharp assessment of Embiid’s performance, particularly in contrast to the team’s dynamic backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe.</p><p>“It’s really interesting because Embiid just looks like he’s done. And who knows if he can come back, but he can’t really jump anymore,” Simmons said. “And every time they really did well was when he wasn’t out there, including the fourth quarter. They just didn’t bring him back because he was on a minutes limit.”</p><p>Simmons praised the team’s explosiveness without Embiid on the floor, emphasizing the impact of Edgecombe’s debut and Maxey’s continued growth.</p><p>“The Maxey and VJ together was just the most electric, the VJ thing is unbelievable,” Simmons said. “The big thing on him coming out of the draft was this guy’s an incredible athlete, he can’t finish. He has terrible finishing stats. Let me tell you, he finishes the f**k out of the Celtics game. The VJ and Maxey thing. Attack, attack, attack, and Embiid just doesn’t fit in with it, and I don’t know what they do.”</p><h2><b>Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe shine as Joel Embiid falters in 76ers opener</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/VJ-Edgecombe-77-celebrates-with-guard-Tyrese-Maxey-0-and-forward-Dominick-Barlow-25.jpg"><figcaption>© Winslow Townson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Embiid’s performance was uncharacteristic. The 31-year-old center finished with four points, six rebounds, two assists, and one block while shooting 1-for-9 from the field in 20 minutes. He posted a team-worst minus-16 plus/minus and did not play in the fourth quarter due to a minutes restriction.</p><p>In contrast, Maxey opened the season in dominant fashion, scoring 40 points on 13-for-24 shooting, including 7-for-9 from 3-point range. He added six assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block in 41 minutes. Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, recorded 34 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal while shooting 13-for-26 from the field in 42 minutes.</p><p>Edgecombe’s performance marked the highest-scoring rookie debut in the 21st century and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-vj-edgecombe-nba-debut-turns-heads-history-books">most points by a rookie in an NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain’s 43 points</a> in 1959.</p><p>The 76ers will return to action on Saturday for their home opener at the Wells Fargo Center, where they will face the Charlotte Hornets (1-0). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.</p><p>As Philadelphia’s young core flashes its potential, questions surrounding Embiid’s role and long-term viability alongside Maxey and Edgecombe are beginning to surface, with Simmons’ comments adding to the national conversation.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
12.0	4.0	3.0	0.5	1.0

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
12.0	4.0	3.0	0.5	1.0

Joel Embiid

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76ers’ Joel Embiid silences critics with comeback 1st half vs. Hornets

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