Hoo boy! We have turmoil and in a big way.
An SI.com article by Brian Geltzeiler rails against the Sixers, their plan, Sam Hinkie and, most viciously, Joel Embiid, whom Geltzeiler implies is an insubordinate fatty who may be responsible for his need to have a second surgery. This will be the Sixers article pundits, writers, radio hosts and bloggers reference if this whole thing goes south. This is the definitive tome to date for the anti-tank crowd. You should read it. But here are some of the main takeaways, all per Geltzeiler’s reporting, some of which the Sixers vehemently deny:
There’s so much here on Bynum Embiid [actual mistake I made] that we have to go to the excerpt machine:
The fact that Brown sent Embiid home from a West Coast road trip last season for being insubordinate to the team’s strength coach and training staff is well documented, but according to a source, the tipping point in the decision was Embiid physically threatening the strength coach on that road trip. According to sources, this followed a pattern of insubordination from Embiid during the rehabilitation of his initial foot injury that sidelined him for the entire 2014–15 season, where he would repeatedly refuse to answer questions from the training staff about his workouts and therapy sessions.
…
Embiid was determined to go to Vegas to party for the balance of the 10 days of summer league. While Embiid was in Vegas, he was mandated to wear the walking boot in advance of the second surgery, but Embiid not only refused to wear the boot, but he carried himself as if nothing was wrong with the foot, shooting jumpers and even occasionally dunking. These actions have given rise to the theory that Embiid actually re-broke his foot, rather than the initial injury not healing properly. It also led to Embiid having the surgery a month later than the club originally had hoped.
This type of disregard for instruction also extends to Embiid’s dietary habits. Per a source, the Sixers’ training staff was so concerned about what he was eating, they stocked the refrigerator in his downtown hotel residence each week with healthy food. When a staffer went to restock the fridge each week, most everything was uneaten and unopened, and they were throwing out the fruits and vegetables every week. When the team subsequently asked to see Embiid’s room service bill, they found that most days he was ordering junk food along with his signature beverage, a pitcher of Shirley Temples. Embiid also was frequently seen feasting on chicken fingers and hot dogs at and after games.
Gah! This isn’t particularly surprising when it comes to Embiid. We’ve noted his loon-like tendencies and his Philly career arc’s increasing resemblance to Andrew Bynum’s. But Geltzeiler has paved new ground for the anti-tank crowd. I imagine Howard Eskin is currently covered in his own juices at the moment. Read the whole thing here.
UPDATE: