Philadelphia 76ers: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. Nets

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 13: the Philadelphia 76ers react during a game against the Brooklyn Nets during Game One of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 13, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images /

1. Joel Embiid is human

Sure, Joel Embiid deserves a look at first-team All-NBA for centers. He’s athletic as hell, dominates the post and draws fouls at an elite clip. But in Game 1, he did not cement such a status.

His stat line of 22 points (on 15 shots), 15 rebounds, four assists, and five blocks will not tell the true story. Embiid dominated for spurts, but overall he made costly mistakes.

Granted, his teammates didn’t help much. Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris combined for 13 points, 19 boards, and nine assists. That sounds like an individual stat line for Simmons, not a combined one from him and the man who cost two first rounders and Landry Shamet.

Ben Simmons on if boos from 76ers fans affected the team: "If you are going to boo, then stay on that side. That is how I feel. If you are a Sixers fan and going to boo, stay on that side."
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) April 13, 2019

So in that sense, Embiid’s shortcomings are forgivable. But for him to truly be the best player on a contender, he has to overcome them. He averaged 30.0 and 14.3 against Brooklyn this season, and despite getting both Nets bigs into foul trouble, he simply never took over.

He only had three turnovers, but Embiid truly was not his sharpest mentally. Late in the game, he did a good job of passing out of double teams, but he still managed to force several issues that could’ve been alleviated by kick-outs.

We’ve seen this before; Embiid tends to have mental lapses throughout a game. And that’s acceptable when only considering his youth.

Next. Brooklyn Nets: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. 76ers. dark

But when the front office pushes this many chips in to acquire elite talent, it’s because they believe in you. Embiid, quite frankly, has to minimize those mistakes. He has to be better.