Some bad blood may be brewing in the first-round division match-up between the Sixers and Nets, according to Stefan Bondy of the Daily News, who writes that several of the Nets’ players, including veteran forward Jared Dudley, swingman Caris LeVert, and guard Spencer Dinwiddie, are upset with perceived disrespect being displayed by Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid.
For Dudley, it was apparent that Embiid crossed a line in Game 2 when he elbowed Nets’ center Jarrett Allen and proceeded to show no remorse (i.e. he was laughing) when asked about the incident during his post-game press conference.
“I felt a certain type of way about it. Just because you’re laughing when somebody could’ve gotten really, really hurt,” Dudley said. “That’s been Embiid’s personality. But just because it’s your personality doesn’t mean it’s right.”
Embiid, who has created somewhat of a secondary story line in this series through the constant media attention on his availability while he plays through knee tendinitis and as a result of the cell phone incident, doesn’t appear to be impressing LeVert with his antics either.
“We didn’t really like (Embiid laughing),” LeVert said. “We thought that was kind of disrespectful especially after the elbow he threw. It is what it is. There’s no love lost.”
Further frustrating the Nets is a perceived favoritism, or star treatment by the referees for Embiid, which manifested itself when Embiid was not ejected from the game as a consequence of his elbow to Allen’s head/face. Embiid was only charged with a Flagrant 1, and Dinwiddie says that if the roles were reversed, Allen would’ve been assessed a Flagrant 2 and ejected.
“If J.A. throws the same elbow and hits Joel, he’s getting ejected. That’s just kind of what it is,” Dinwiddie said. “But we can’t play that game. All we have to do is go out there and play our game and be who we are, and we’ll be fine, just like we were in Game 1.”
Game 3 between the two teams is scheduled for Thursday night at 8:00pm EST on TNT. Given the above, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another flagrant or two during tomorrow’s contest.
Westbrook, Durant, and Embiid are good for basketball. Not just their talent, but their antics. A lot of people love to hate them but it still puts fans in seats and eyes on tv. NBA needs more drama until another team can dethrone the champs and change the scenery of the playoffs.
That doesn’t mean other teams have to like it.
I don’t know if I agree on Durant and Embiid, but I will give you Westbrook.
Durant is just too thin skinned, I would rather a Westbrook who’s just hard-nosed.
Look at Durant’s inability to deal with Pat Beverley. As a superstar, you need to be bigger than getting ejected with a guy who’s calling card is defensive pest.
Embiid just feels like a petulant little child. His antics aren’t amusing to me at all.
Durant’s thin skin has 2 titles. How many for Russ’s hard nose again?
2 titles because he left his original, merely “good” team to join up with the team with the best record in basketball the previous year. Not criticizing him for that, but let’s not imply that he didn’t bail to join a super team. Let’s see how many he wins after he leaves GS.
This.
So if you win a title, you can’t be thin-skinned? Deep thoughts.
That’s why you have the 12th man on the bench. In hockey, it’s called the enforcer. Get some little used guy in there to either elbow Embiid or get him riled up enough to do the elbowing himself and get kicked out.
Play dirty next time Nets!!!
Also laughing inappropriately was Jarret Allen himself, who was all about, *that’s nothing, I can take that, great game huh*, instead of addressing an imbalance.
The touch fouls actually hurt as much in a different way, and combined with some chippiness created an environment where the assault forgiveness caused confusion. Shaq & Barkely were up & arguing at halftime. The Nets kind of gave up for the second half.
Allen came into the league with a kid-like rep, and coach Atkinson has gotten great mileage with the teacher/kid model. Now would be a good time to find an NBA playoffs response model, team-wide. Also, cover Boban.
If regular basketball is played, Nets win… Sixers noticed that game 1.
“A kid-like rep”? Do tell.
Before the draft teams weren’t sure if JA wanted to play in the NBA or play video games and be teenager a few more years. He’s got a bit of that gentle giant in him as well. Super nice dude and humble but needs to have more dog in him. Nets would be wise to start Davis in this series. Also them not getting a big at the deadline is coming back to bite them. To add to it they had Greg Monroe, who the sixers now have, but waved him.
Embiid is only good for Sixers fans.
Really???
He had numbers beyond MVP!!!
Many have won the award doing less than him, Embiid is a monster player & is great for the league as he is very entertaining, all basketball fans gotta love him, no way about!
I’m a basketball fan, I don’t love him.
nah you’re a baseball fan
embiid’s in decline as his body’s slowly breaking down into greg oden territory – the process of elimination
Hahahaha
Embiid is 4th in scoring per game, 2nd in rebounds per game and 5th in PER and he’s in “decline” to Greg Oden territory? Ha!
Well, he doesn’t play that much. Have you noticed?
If the rule is that people can’t laugh if someone could have gotten hurt, then that means no one can ever laugh at anything. Literally anything *could* lead to injury. People have died taking showers.
So worrying about hypothetical stuff is dumb.
This comment is dumb
It’s beyond dumb. The imagery from the “showers” remark is absolutely disgusting. Even if that’s not was intended, it should still be called out. People have a right to be sensitive to it.
Also, Embiid is a great young player, but the NBA should review that play in light of his admission after the game that he was playing aggressively by throwing his elbow. He may not have “intended” to cause serious injury, but he certainly intended to recklessly throw his elbow. If “Flagrant 2” involves intent, that admission illustrates intent. He should be suspended for tonight’s game.
Clearly the only way Brooklyn can win a game vs Philly is if Embiid doesn’t play, of course you want him suspended, but for all NBA fans we want him on the court, were he belongs!!!
Ummm… Brooklyn won game one with him on the floor.
21 minutes of lumbering around with a sore knee, again that is what is needed for Brooklyn to win, dude Nets done real good this year, but Philly is another level, no point in hoping to win the series, not realistic!
Embiid wasn’t really more healthy for gm2, so it was strange he was so favored. Actually Boban outplayed him, because the Nets did not cover him outside of about 12 feet. Atkinson must do better.
Aaand… He’s in street clothes. Not surprised. And Jarret looks like he’s got new direction.
It’s pretty brave for a man who’s face broke last year…
Embiid and trusting the processed cheese .. fractured fairytales
Let’s just end this you get any player on both rosters for 1 season or even 1 series. You’re taking Embiid, not even a question.
He is a top-10 player in the league right now. Some would put him in their Top-5.
?? If Embiid’s top 10, top 5, then there’s 9 or 4 players you might want more. And he’s only good for about 3/4 of contests.
Debatable.
LeBron
Giannis
AD
Kawahi
Harden
Westbrook
Irving
Thompson
Curry
Durant
Lillard
Then Embiid.
All good players to list except for maybe Thompson
I agree he’s debatable, but he may be the best 3 point shooter in the league right now which, I think, warrants inclusion in the discussion.
That’s a fair enough point