CAMDEN, N.J. -- Another nationally televised game, another loss for the Sixers. Joel Embiid was disappointed by the way the team fell flat again in the spotlight Friday against the Lakers on Friday.
The Sixers’ 100-89 loss, in which they trailed by 22 points, was aired on ESPN. It was their second falter of the season on national TV. In November they were blown out 110-86 by the Timberwolves on TNT.
Embiid described the Sixers’ start of the game on Friday as “really bad.”
“The last national televised game we had, it was the same thing,” Embiid said. “I don’t know if it was the pressure of that or if it’s just, I don’t really know, but that’s the second game in a row we weren’t focused, especially on the bigger stage.”
Embiid takes the reactions on social media after the games to heart. He sees the negative comments and wants to change the public opinion of the Sixers, but it is hard to do so when they go flat.
“It’s just frustrating,” Embiid said. “It still kind of makes me mad when I go on Twitter, like we didn’t have the worst record in the league but people still say we do, we were the worst team in the league just because of the past years. My job here has been trying to change the culture. It just makes me mad that we came out on ESPN or TNT and played so bad.”
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When Embiid speaks out about the Sixers’ lackluster performances, it isn’t just coming from a place of a frustrated player. His disappointment comes from the vantage point of an emerging team leader.
At 22 years old and in his rookie season, Embiid is taking on a leadership responsibility. It is a role usually given to veterans, but Embiid is the centerpiece of the Sixers and has the competitive drive to handle that important position.
“I think the coaches have been on me to be more of that, I understand them,” Embiid said. “They’re always telling me it takes time to be that leader. It’s usually later in your career, so I’m trying to start now and learn how to be a leader and do whatever I can do to help.”
