Sixers swing out on Joel Embiid

Philly's been here before

Ever write a column a few times? Some of you are sportswriters, sometimes we pre-write, sometimes you creep out a column, thrice.

Sometimes we gulp a big huff of in-arena air at press row, worried over what we just saw, presuming it’ll be all over social media in seconds and ESPN later that evening. That was my case last Thursday while at the 76ers/Pacers contest, watching Joel Embiid fall to a heap with a knee injury during Philadelphia’s visit to the Pacers’ building.

Don’t remember it? It didn’t hit social media, it didn’t alarm SportsCenter. Embiid left the floor and in a minute I churned out four paragraphs about The MVP suffering The Big One in the middle of another superlative season.

Moments after I dotted mine I’s, however, Embiid returned to the game, a blowout, appearing rather wobbly. Joel got his 31 and again went back to the bench.

Stunk, left, and the Sixers never made a big deal out of it. One column, wasted.

Then the NBA made a big deal outta Joel Embiid sitting out Saturday night in Denver, so I sat myself down to type out another few paragraphs, the second column, ready to roll after Whatever Joel Does Against Golden State.

Then we saw what Joel did against Golden State. Third column.

Joel shouldn’t have played Tuesday on TNT, he shouldn’t have played in the Pacer game last Thursday let alone the Nugget contest. Someone on the Sixers shoulda stepped up after Saturday night’s sit-out, more people (like me, the guy given a press credential to the 76ers/Pacer game) needed to make a larger deal over what felled Embiid in Indianapolis.

And I would have finished it, too, but I spent my Sunday watching GG Jackson II with that same press credential. My moans wouldn’t have stopped anything, talk was too nasty the night of Embiid’s Saturday evening quack.