2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid has battled injury troubles throughout his Philadelphia 76ers career, which made it difficult for him to consistently lead his team deep into the postseason. In an effort to stay in shape during the season, Embiid has announced his intention to avoid playing back-to-back games, a decision that has divided the basketball world. Just a couple of days ago, NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley criticized Embiid’s approach during Inside the NBA show, suggesting it could hurt the team’s chances. On Gil’s Arena podcast, ex-Warriors star Gilbert Arenas, along with Dwight Howard, also raised similar concerns.

They questioned how the Sixers could hope to win a championship if their two best players, Embiid and Paul George, weren’t available consistently. Arenas pointed out that with Embiid’s injury concern, there is a dilemma: “Would you rather him play 72 games at 22 minutes, averaging about 25, versus 63 games trying to average 30-something? Which one makes sense for the team?”

For Howard, the answer seemed simple: play more games, even if it meant less time on the court. “For the team, do the one with less minutes,” Howard said, stressing that building camaraderie is key. He argued that sitting out disrupts chemistry, making it harder for the team to gel until the star players return. “When you get back, you ball-dominant,” he added, a direct critique of Embiid’s approach.

Howard also emphasized that without Embiid, the 76ers are a different team as someone else will have to take more shots than usual. “So everybody like, the shot’s not coming. It’s a different flow. Because now, those five, six extra shots that he was shooting, now somebody else is getting those shots.”

On the other hand, Agent Zero thinks it’s the perfect chance for someone like Tyrese Maxey to become the face of the franchise. How? “So if Maxie comes out, since he’s the only one playing right now, and he sits out here for these next three games, scored 40, 42, 45. When you come back, trust me, he is not thinking about, ‘I’m the third option anymore.’ It’s his team,” Arenas emphatically said. In the 2023-24 season, Maxey averaged 25.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.7 APG, impressive for someone who played 37.5 minutes per game.

However, Stephen A. Smith had jumped to Embiid’s defense earlier. He believes the criticism from Shaq, Chuck, and others is unfair, given Embiid’s history of injuries. During First Take, Smith reminded everyone of Embiid’s constant battle to stay on the court and said, “For Joel Embiid, who’s a monster… I don’t understand how they can have a problem, considering all the injuries he sustained.”

Smith rigidly defended Embiid’s choices, adding, “I understand if it was anybody else, I get where they’re coming from. But for Joel Embiid… he shows up and will bust your ass.” But what have the critics said about Embiid’s choice?

Shaq and Chuck criticized Joel Embiid’s decision

Joel Embiid recently told ESPN, “If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs,” a statement that didn’t sit well with NBA icons Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. Barkley, speaking on TNT, expressed disappointment, saying, “You’re one of the three or four or five best players in the world. You cannot say as a leader of that team, I’m not gonna play certain games. That’s not the way to start the season.” Chuk emphasized that Embiid’s statement is the wrong message for his 76ers teammates.

Shaq echoed Barkley’s sentiments, adding that the league isn’t as physical as it once was. “The league isn’t that physical for him to say that he’s a picking popper,” Shaq said. “You don’t get flagrant fouled. There’s no reason to say ‘I’m not playing back-to-back.'”

Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett also chimed in, backing Shaq and Barkley’s views. On his Ticket & The Truth show, Garnett blasted the idea, saying, “Back-to-backs are part of the f***ing season. 82 games, man. That’s what the f***ing job calls for.”

With injury troubles already plaguing the Philadelphia 76ers to start the season, how far they can go? Let us know in the comment section.