Kendrick Perkins didn’t hold back after the Philadelphia 76ers’ preseason opener, flat out saying Joel Embiid “wasn’t moving well” and looked concerning on the court. It’s a huge red flag as the 76ers gear up to chase an NBA championship over the next couple of seasons, with their starting five playing together for the first time just this past Thursday.
What’s Happening in Philly?
Things have been a bit bumpy even before Perkins’ comments. There was an incident involving Embiid and LeBron James, with center reportedly showing up late to practice. New York Knicks commentator Mike Breen even mentioned it on air, saying someone told him “they were out ready to practice and Joel Embiid walked out on the court a couple minutes late.” That’s not the kind of buzz you want around your star player, though the incident has since been denied. Embiid himself has said he feels good health-wise, even commenting on a recent dunk: “Pretty good. Not bad. I don’t know, that’s probably (he took a pause), I said I would never dunk again. In the moment, he did block me the first time so I was kind of pissed off about it. So I was hoping that he would jump again, so that’s why I went for it. But, yeah, that’s probably the last dunk of my career.”
Perkins Drops the Hammer: LeBron at Center?
Despite Embiid’s claims of good health, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins sees something different. He wasn’t pulling any punches, stating, “I didn’t like the way that Joel Embiid looked last night. I didn’t like the way that he was getting up and down the floor…to me, he wasn’t moving well.” This isn’t just a casual observation, either. Perkins took it a step further, suggesting that Embiid’s lack of movement means “LeBron James is gonna play a lot of center position this year. LeBron James is gonna have to and guess what? The Philadelphia 76ers actually could win the Eastern Conference this year, and make it to the NBA Finals with LeBron James playing majority of the center position.” That’s a bold prediction, hinting at a major shift for the team’s strategy.
There’s definitely reason for concern here. Embiid is a core part of the 76ers’ championship aspirations, and his health can’t be brushed aside. While he might just be getting back into game shape, his movement is something every Philadelphia fan needs to watch closely as the preseason rolls on. If LeBron James really has to take on significant minutes at center, it’s probably not the ideal scenario the 76ers envisioned, but if that’s what’s needed, they’ll have to adapt. Embiid’s movement has clearly raised some eyebrows, and it’s not the most encouraging sign for the squad right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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