"He's got a mental block" - Charles Barkley says having Joel Embiid in the lineup hurts James Harden and Tyrese Maxey
Charles Barkley believes the Philadelphia 76ers shouldn't have played Joel Embiid in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semis-finals series against the Boston Celtics. Barkley hinted that Embiid's presence disturbed the 76ers' rhythm, resulting in a 121-87 loss in Wednesday's Game 2 loss.
Embiid returned two weeks after enduring a knee injury in Game 3 of the Sixers' first-round contest against the Nets. He had missed Game 4 of that series and Game 1 against the Celtics. Barkley thought the 76ers should've given Embiid an extended rest. Here's what he said about the reigning MVP's performance on TNT's 'Inside The NBA':
"I do not like the fact that he [Embiid] was in there for a couple of reasons... I think James [Harden] plays differently when Joel's out there. In my opinion. he's [Embiid] got a mental block. He's not nearly as aggressive. I mean, it was night and day from Game 1 to Game 2."
The 76ers won Game 1 121-87 in Embiid's absence. The difference in that game was their pace and other players being able to play freely, especially James Harden. "The Beard" dropped a playoff career-high 45 points on 30 attempts. In Game 2, Harden attempted 14 shots and made two, tallying 12 points.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey scored 26 in Game 1 and had 13 in Game 2. The Sixers are undoubtedly a better team with Joel Embiid on the floor, but Tuesday was about him searching for his rhythm. Embiid's delayed decision-making allowed the Celtics' defense to set, forcing tough shots on the 76ers' perimeter players, unlike Game 1.
Joel Embiid's high usage rate made life difficult for the Sixers to generate any movement. He also struggled with his own shot, making 4-of-9 field goals to score 15 points.
Charles Barkley suggests Joel Embiid should've let James Harden take over Game 2
James Harden has transitioned to full-time point guard since leaving the Houston Rockets in 2020 for the Brooklyn Nets. He deferred to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant on the Nets and is now doing that with Joel Embiid on the 76ers.
Harden showed he was still a potent scorer when Embiid was out in Game 1. He had the momentum in his favor entering Game 2, but he slotted back into the role of a No. 2 option in Wednesday's contest.
Charles Barkley believes Embiid should've allowed Harden to remain aggressive to give the Sixers a better chance of winning and taking a commanding 2-0 series entering the home leg of the series. Here's what the former NBA star said:
"He [Harden] plays totally different when Joel's out there. If I was Joel I'd say, 'James, do what you did Monday night, don't worry about me, I know when the game's on the line, that's why I won the MVP trophy. Let me play defense and win the game in the fourth quarter.'"
Eye tests and numbers suggest that Charles Barkley's analysis of the James Harden-Joel Embiid tandem based on the current situation is spot on. Harden needs to continue to be aggressive if Embiid struggles to find his rhythm in Game 3, or else the result will be no different from what went down on Wednesday night.