TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal ripped Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid for not playing to the full capacity of his abilities, no longer appearing to be the dominant Sixers big man who can take over a game.

Embiid recently put up 22 points and 10 rebounds in a nationally-televised game against the Denver Nuggets, one that was following a 10-point, eight-rebound effort against the Toronto Raptors, which sparked the criticism.

“That's what they do. Maybe they're right,” said the Sixers big on Thursday prior to a TNT doubleheader that will start with the Sixers facing the Boston Celtics. “I do think they're right. I think I need to be more aggressive. Just need to impose myself and look to dominate. I think the whole season I haven't done that and then you can see the way it's affected my efficiency and my stats. I guess I need to go back to having fun and just dominate.

“I get what they're saying, man. I think they're right. I gotta make a change.”

Joel Embiid finished last season with career-high averages of 27.5 points and 13.6 rebounds along with 1.9 blocks per game. This season he's putting up 22.0 and 12.4 boards with 1.4 blocks per game — numbers that are much less-dominant to what he proved he could muster last season.

In a way, the 7-footer is conflicted, considering his gaudy numbers meant little when he was dealing with injuries in the postseason, ultimately falling in a gut-wrenching Game 7 loss to the Raptors in the second round.

The Sixers big is trying to balance playing less minutes and adhering to his new teammates while still providing contributions, but this meek persona he's been trying to channel has actually taken his joy for the game away.

It's commendable that Embiid is trying to do what's best for his team after receiving a two-game suspension for an altercation with Karl-Anthony Towns, but taking this advice to heart surely won't hurt him, as the Sixers will need his best contributions to make a run at the Eastern Conference crown.