Bill Simmons draws harsh 76ers' Joel Embiid, Blake Griffin career drop off comparison
09/18/2024 01:13 PM
When NBA players enter their prime, some fear that the other shoe will drop, leading to an inevitable decline. In the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, host Bill Simmons shared his concerns about Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid. To Simmons, Embiid’s drop-off might be similar to former superstar Blake Griffin, who last played for the Boston Celtics in the 2022-23 season. Griffin saw the physical toll of injuries sap away at his overall game, and Simmons, with how oft-injured Embiid is, fears the same will happen to the Philadelphia big man.
“I keep thinking about Blake Griffin when I think of Embiid,” said Simmons. “Where Blake Griffin had all these different injuries. Some were bad luck in his legs, others were like he broke his hand punching the equipment manager, but all of a sudden, he had like 7 or 8 injuries, and you added them up, and it's like, oh, s—t. And then the Clippers were like, we're out of the Blake business, trading him, and his body broke down a year later. I think with venters, I'm with you on paper, and those guys look awesome. There are so many reasons why it might not work out, and there are a couple of reasons why it could.”
Why is Bill Simmons concerned about 76ers’ superstar Joel Embiid?
Ultimately, Simmons doesn't trust Embiid's injury history at this point in his career. The NBA game is evolving and becoming more physical, forcing the 76ers superstar to take more contact on either side of the court.
“The league has changed. We shoot more threes. The defense is better. There's better scheming. I get all of it,” said Simmons. “One thing that has never changed is physically. If you've had a lot of injuries and you're not in great shape, you're going to keep getting hurt. That's been the case since the 1950s, and it's going to be the case with him.”
Griffin's drop-off came in year 12 of his career and, while Joel Embiid will be entering year nine, having only played 39 games last season due to injury. Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a season, and before last season, he had played 66 and 68 games in back-to-back years, which were highs for him. Embiid has always been a significantly more dominant player than Griffin, but both big men have dealt with various injuries in their careers. The clock might be ticking on Embiid’s career. Hopefully, it doesn’t end as Griffin’s did.
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