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Philadelphia 76ers legend Charles Barkley made it known to Joel Embiid that he is “disappointed” by how the Sixers big man is reacting to his changed role following the Jimmy Butler trade.
The Sixers are still trying to figure out how all the pieces fit after trading for Jimmy Butler. Joel Embiid is taking a lesser role now and he seems to be unhappy with that.
Embiid's reaction didn't sit well with Charles Barkley, and the NBA Hall of Famer went on ESPN's “Get Out” to discuss the comments Embiid made about his new role.
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“It disappointed me that Joel is more worried about his personal numbers then the team being better because they're clearly better with Jimmy Butler. So I was disappointed in his statements.”
Since trading for Butler, the Sixers are 13-6 and have risen all the way to third in the Eastern Conference. They're only three games adrift for first place, clearly proving that they are better with Butler on the roster.
Of course, the change isn't going to feel comfortable overnight and that's understandable. Embiid is not comfortable in a different role than he's used to. But the good news is that they have all season to develop chemistry. The Sixers are definitely going to be one of the top seeds in the East, and if they can figure out their roles by then, they'll be a dangerous matchup in the playoffs.
Barkley is right to be disappointed in Embiid because this team has the potential to go all the way to the NBA Finals. Embiid should be happy about that, rather than concerned with his individual role on the team.
