Even before this latest Philadelphia 76ers experiment really began showing signs of dysfunction, Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley were already lobbing criticisms at All-Star center Joel Embiid.
“We’re telling you, you can be great,” O’Neal said on the postgame NBA on TNT broadcast following Embiid’s 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes of a Dec. 10 win over the Denver Nuggets. “You ain’t playing hard enough. Twenty-two ain’t enough to get you to the next level. Do you want to be great, or do you want to be good?