Joel Embiid slyly throws shade at James Harden while hinting at team chemistry issues: "Ball sticking and playing ISO basketball"
It appears that Joel Embiid didn't like the way his former teammate James Harden was playing during their time together on the Philadelphia 76ers. The reigning NBA MVP said that only if they played team basketball and moved the ball well would they be able to win and that ISO basketball doesn't bring titles.
Harden spent one and a half years with Embiid in Philadelphia but the Sixers got eliminated in the Eastern Conference semi-finals in consecutive seasons.
"You can't win with the ball sticking and playing ISO basketball. You gotta have movement. Obviously for that to happen, you gotta have the right players to play with that type of system and the ball's just gotta move. It's so much fun," Joel Embiid said via Tomer Azarly of Clutchpoints.
"It is not just about scoring. You pass the ball, guys are making shots, the ball is moving, everybody is happy."
With Harden now with the Clippers, Embiid and the Sixers have 18 wins and eight losses, trailing the top-seeded Boston Celtics by two and a half games (20-5). Meanwhile, Harden and the Clippers have turned things around after a poor start and have now won eight games in a row (16-10).
Sixers president says Joel Embiid is 'committed to winning' with Philadelphia
The Philadelphia 76ers had a turbulent offseason with the James Harden saga and his relationship with Daryl Morey. Eventually, Harden moved to the Clippers and things got back to normal for Philadelphia.
Morey recently spoke with the media and praised Embiid for his commitment to his team and his willingness to win with the Sixers.
"It was really frustrating this summer. Obviously, we were taking our lumps for various reasons in the media, but Joel has been one hundred percent Sixers, one hundred percent Philly, and one hundred percent winning the championship here in every meeting," Morey said via Sports Illustrated.
Joel Embiid is having another MVP season so far. He is averaging 34.4 ppg, 11.8 rpg and 6.0 apg on 53.4 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc. He is also the frontrunner to repeat as scoring champion in the league.