Joel Embiid played arguably the worst game in his NBA career Monday night in Toronto. In fact, arguably is kind.
It was the worst performance in Embiid's young career.
He didn't score in a 101-96 loss to the team that broke his heart about six months prior. And while his first trip back to Scotiabank Arena didn't result in tears, it most definitely caused frustration thanks to missing all eleven of his shot attempts, as well as three free throw chances.
Yikes.
Is it a matter of conditioning being that it was his fourth game in six nights? Maybe. Brett Brown said he wasn't sure—which was basically a non-answer. Embiid said he wasn't fatigued.
Regardless, his jumpers were short, his post presence was nullified by double teams and his kryptonite—Marc Gasol—and it will certainly be a night he'd like to forget.
Guess what? You will too.
Embiid has much better days ahead of him because he's an unbelievable talent that wants to win in Philadelphia. He's 25-years-old and will continue to mature. If he ever gets in tip-top shape and can sustain it, he'll be one of the top three to five players in the sport—just like if Ben Simmons ever shoots jumpers regularly.
In Philadelphia, we remember the infamous Joe Carter home run. We remember Patrick Kane crushing 20,000 at Wells Fargo with the flukiest goal in the history of hockey. We remember the pain caused by Chuckie Gruden smiling his way to San Diego at the last game at The Vet. And we remember the longest four bounces to ever sit a-top a basketball rim before Kawhi Leonard sent Embiid and the Sixers back to the United States with another second round exit.
We'll soon forget Embiid's freezing cold night north of the border—especially when he drops 25 and 10 the next five times he takes the court.
