Joel Embiid, the superstar center for the Philadelphia 76ers, has come under scrutiny during the 2024 NBA playoffs for several flagrant and questionable fouls against the New York Knicks.
The Knicks currently lead the first round series 3-1, but Embiid erupted for 50 points in Game 3 to get the Sixers back in the mix.
While Embiid‘s offensive prowess has him in the MVP conversation, some of his defensive tactics and extracurricular fouls have people questioning if “The Process” is actually a dirty player.
The Flagrant Foul on Mitchell Robinson
The main foul in question came in Game 3 when Embiid grabbed Mitchell Robinson’s leg as the Knicks center went up for a shot attempt. This was ruled a Flagrant 1 foul after review, but many around the NBA felt it should have been a Flagrant 2 and potential suspension.
“The Knicks expressed disgust at some of Embiid‘s antics, including a flagrant foul 1 he committed on New York center Mitchell Robinson, a play that Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo called dirty. New York guard Josh Hart called it reckless,” said one reporter covering the game.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was frustrated after the game, asking reporters “Which one? The one they called or the one they didn’t call? Just want to make sure we have clarity on that.”
This suggested Thibodeau felt other fouls by Embiid deserved flagrant as well.
Low Blows and Leg Kicks
Beyond the flagrant foul, Embiid had several other questionable moments involving low blows and leg kicks to Knicks players. On one first half play, Embiid kicked his leg out on a jumper and made hard contact with Robinson’s groin area. This was called a common foul.
“Also in the first half, Embiid kicked out his leg on a jump shot and hit Robinson in the groin region, and Embiid was hit with a foul for what appeared to be a knee to the groin area of Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein,” noted reporters of the chippy play.
A Reckless Superstar or Competitive Fluke?
Joel Embiid is certainly one of the most dominant two-way forces in the game today.
His 50 point explosion saved Philadelphia from falling into a 0-3 hole. That type of performance shows why Embiid‘s presence on the court is so vital to his team.
At the same time, flailing legs, low blows, and dangerous takedowns anger opponents and prompt questions about Embiid‘s style of play. His talent may overshadow the controversies to some degree, but a second round exit could refuel accusations about “dirty” championship-caliber players if Embiid‘s fouls are indeed deemed malicious.
The series with New York will determine if this was just a minor blip of reckless behavior from Embiid, or indicative that he is an unavoidable hazard to opponents when fighting through injury to bolster the Sixers.
The league office now must decide if his tactics warrant a suspension, or if The Process deserves the benefit of the doubt as Philly fights to stay alive.
Sources:
foxsportsradionewjersey.com/2024/04/26/knicks-embiid-dirty-play/
eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2024/04/26/knicks-76ers-joel-embiid-game-3-antics-dirty/73464850007/
