Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) and center Joel Embiid (21) react during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Certain events are inevitable when a team with high expectations starts a season 2-12.
The "Big Team Meeting" is one of them.
Struggling teams need a turning point, and sometimes it helps to manufacture one. Get everybody together for The Big Team Meeting, air some grievances. And if the squad starts winning, everyone can look back fondly on The Big Team Meeting for turning things around.
But there are rules. Rule number one of Big Team Meeting Club is you don't talk about Big Team Meeting Club.
When asked about Monday's team meeting in Miami, Sixers star Joel Embiid said "Whoever leaked that is a real piece of shit"
Also: It's kind of annoying having to deal with the same things over and over and over
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) November 21, 2024
Maxey calling out Embiid was fantastic. Teammates holding each other accountable is a good thing. Maybe it even had an effect on Embiid, who played a great game Wednesday after sulking the entire season. (I'm on record defending Embiid for the Marcus Hayes shove, but his general "woe is me" response to this year's criticism is disappointing.)
But The Big Team Meeting can't go public. Family business stays in the family. Maxey's criticisms of Embiid land very differently when they're exposed to the entire world. In the spirit of "us against the universe," Embiid could quietly take Maxey's words to heart. Once the world is in on the conversation? It starts to feel like everyone is just piling on.
Paul George gets it:
Paul George on the Sixers team meeting.
“The people that was in that room is the people that were supposed to be in that room. It’s the people that go out and we’re in the trenches with on a nightly basis. That’s who was in that room."
pic.twitter.com/L8wXpwaeRU
We'll see where the Sixers' season goes from here. The best move for Embiid, right now, would be to put himself above it all and focus on his craft. But he's an emotional guy, and some of the criticism has clearly gotten under his skin.
In summary and conlusion:
- If the Sixers start winning, point to The Big Team Meeting as the moment your team pulled it all together.
- If the Sixers continue to lose, point to The Big Team Meeting as proof of a dysfunctional locker room.
The Sixers will look for their third win at home tomorrow night against the Nets.
