The Bill Simmons Podcast
Part 2: The 76ers Fell Apart, Embiid’s Next Five Years, and Week 12 NFL Picks With Chris Ryan and Joe House
Fri, 22 Nov 2024
In Part 2 of a two-part podcast, The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Chris Ryan and Joe House to discuss how miserable the 76er situation is right now, how we got here, and whether it can be saved (1:35). Next, Bill and House run through their favorite NFL games for the weekend slate (54:44), and make the Million-Dollar Picks for NFL Week 12 (1:16:39). Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Chris Ryan and Joe House Producers: Kyle Crichton and Steve Ceruti The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the current state of the Philadelphia 76ers?
Kennt ihr auch diesen einen Freund, der morgens einfach so ruckzuck aus dem Bett und danach aus dem Grinsen gar nicht mehr rauskommt? Der sogar noch vor dem ersten Kaffee unverschämt gut gelaunt ist und mit der Morgensonne um die Wette strahlt? Furchtbar. Ekelhaft. Wie kann man nur so...
Ausgeruht sein? Ganz einfach. Trainiere deinen Schlaf und werde auch du zum Morgenmenschen. Mit der Galaxy Watch 7 oder dem Galaxy Ring und der Samsung Health App.
where we put clips and videos of all the stuff we do here. We also have a Ringer Movies YouTube channel where we put the Rewatchables, where we did the replacements. On Monday, I was surprised how many people were excited in my life that we did this. A lot of people love that movie. So there you go.
Coming up on this podcast, Chris Ryan, my longtime Grantland slash Ringer colleague, my frequent co-host on the Rewatchables and a diehard Philadelphia fan. We're going to talk about this Joel Embiid Sixers situation, because it's getting really, really grim. And it's worth two segments. So we had them with Joe House, who stuck around and did Million Dollar Picks with me after. I like Week 12.
We're going to talk about that. Tried to figure out a way to squeeze Drake May into the podcast somehow, which we did in Million Dollar Picks. Can't wait for you to listen. First, our friends from Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam. All right, taping this early Thursday afternoon. Joe House is here because we're going to do a million dollar picks a little bit later. Chris Ryan is here of The Ringer.
We've worked together 13 years. Diehard Philadelphia fan. Chris, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't ask you what it's like to be a Philadelphia 76ers fan right now.
You know what? It's actually not as bad as you think, because it was a head-on collision. It was dead on impact. It's 2-12. Yeah, they could probably scratch and claw their way out of this, but to me, this season, it had a kind of end-of-the-season vibe in the second half against Memphis on Wednesday.
House, did you watch it? I couldn't look away. I watched the entire game. I think I watched every single minute of it.
I was going back and forth, but it wasn't encouraging. I still want to know warum Embiid spielt. Ich würde gerne wissen, warum er spielt. Ja, C.R., fang uns das an.
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Chapter 2: Why is Joel Embiid's performance under scrutiny?
Ich denke, sie scheißen sich ab, dass er nicht gesund war. Yeah, but he hasn't been healthy his entire career. He's not been like a 100% I feel perfect athlete. So you're fired up when they gave him an extension? I think that it's the price of doing business.
I think like... That's what Steve Ballmer found out with Kawhi. I mean, I don't know what we're talking about. Well, whatever. They put themselves behind the eight ball with the extension. Yeah. But then... Warum werfen sie ihn da raus, wenn er natürlich nicht gesund ist?
Erklär uns das. Ich kann es dir nicht erklären, weil das die ganze Beat-Experienz war, wo ich glaube, dass Fans, besonders diese Generation von Fans, von den Sixers völlig okay mit, hey, wir müssen ein paar Verluste nehmen, um ein paar Gewinne zu erzielen.
Das ist der ganze Punkt des Prozesses, dass es ein Teardown zu den Studs geben wird und dass wir dann mit Homegrown-Talent bauen und freie Agenten bringen, die Leute durch den Handel erzeugen, um diesen Homegrown-Talent zu helfen, einen Titel zu bekommen. Wir sind genau in dem gleichen Ort, wo wir waren, als Doug Collins verlief, was im Grunde eine zweite Runde Basketballteam ist.
Und wir wachsen jetzt. Wir haben den Charakter des Teams verändert, wo Joel Embiid 30 ist, er sieht, als wäre er 38, er könnte sogar 47 aussehen, ehrlich gesagt. Und die Leute, die sie haben, sind größtenteils Veteranen, die da sind, nicht unbedingt auf Mercenary-Kontrakten, aber sicher sind sie da, um Titel zu gewinnen oder tief in die Playoffs zu kommen.
Ja, aber dann hast du das ganze andere Fun-Sixers-Team, wo es so ist, McCain und Maxi und Yabasele und Oubre.
Wenn es ein 2-12 McCain und Maxi-Team gäbe, dann wäre es so, dass man sagt, oh ja, das ist ein bisschen seltsam und es tut weh, und wir sind ziemlich davon aus, aber wer weiß, wir sind feistig und McCain ist großartig.
Aber stattdessen mit George, der jetzt seine Knie überextendiert hat und wieder raus ist, und Embiid, die tägliche, und nicht nur tägliche, aber auch tägliche Updates auf, vielleicht werde ich es, vielleicht werde ich es nicht. Ich werde nie 100 Prozent sein. Ich werde nicht zurück spielen, aber ich werde, wenn es für mich rollt. Und ich sollte raus sein, aber ich werde zurück kommen.
Wenn sie nur haben, wie Joel Embiid etwas tweakt am Ende der Olympiade, er ist raus für die ersten sechs Wochen. Ich denke einfach, es ist ein völlig anderes Szenario. You agree with that, Haas?
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Chapter 3: How are the Sixers handling injuries this season?
Well, we know you thought that, because you took the over of 50 and a half wins.
Remember that? I stand by it. It wasn't wrong in the context of the information that was available. It was a simple... I do think it was then desirable for them to try and finish among the top four teams in the East. Desirable. Understanding, of course, that you're not going to get a full season out of Embiid or a full season out of Paul George.
You hope for most of a full season out of Maxi and that you can weather the storm enough to get around 50 wins and finish in the top four in the East because all things being equal, it would be better to have home court in the first round than not. But having said all that, the thing that's baffling to me still doesn't have an answer is what's with the drama, Mama? What are we talking about?
Just shut up. You did a great job in the summer. You built the best team you could build. There is a closing window on Embiid. We all agree that Joel Embiid ain't going to be playing professional basketball for another mother-effing decade. So you go all in and something happens. Etwas, entweder nach den Olympischen Spielen, nach den Olympischen Spielen, etwas passiert.
Oder vor den Olympischen Spielen. Oder vor, ja, also müssen wir sie aufhören. Okay, aufhören sie auf. Aufhören sie auf und aufhören sie auf. Das ist es. Es gibt nichts anderes zu sagen. Warum reden wir? Wer hat die verdammten täglichen Soap-Operen? Wer ist das für?
Wenn du in die Warum reden wir-Ding gehst, Why are we talking? Because all this stuff leaked out from that hour-long meeting where we come to find out the least surprising piece of information in recent Sixers history, which is that Joel Embiid, the other players were upset about his accountability, showing up late to meetings, his practice habits, and it was like,
Yeah, I'm not surprised by one aspect of this, were you?
No, but I think that this is all about how it's getting framed, right? So like if you change over two thirds of your roster almost every season, you're not going to be able to control the culture of the locker room.
And if you bring in new faces who maybe don't have the same allegiances or the same relationships with guys in that locker room, they might just have like more incentive to say something to their agent who says something to Shams, whatever happened. Es fühlt sich so an, als würde Maxi von Embiid ausgesprochen werden. Es sieht so aus, als wäre es aus der Vorgehensweise geblieben.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of the Sixers' disappointing start?
Warum Joe Ellenbeet ist 30 und nicht auf der Zeit zu sprechen, und dass das so betroffen ist für das Team, dass es sich in einen ESPN-Report auswirkt und dass andere Leute auf dem Team klar nicht an ihn als den Alpha-Führer des Lockerbaums achten und okay sind, diese Details aus dem Lockerraum zu lassen, das ist ein ganz anderes Gespräch.
Aber ja, die Kommunikationsparte von dem hat von oben bis unten schrecklich gewesen.
Und dann gibt es das Vergleich zwischen seinem Arbeitsethik und seiner Fähigkeit, sich in Form zu halten, gegenüber den anderen besten Spielerinnen der Liga. Das ist das, was wirklich herauskommt. Und das ist das, was wir in diesem Podcast immer wieder gesagt haben. Er kämpft gegen Leute wie Giannis und Tatum, wie LeBron im 22. Jahrhundert.
Diese Leute, das ist ihr Leben, sich in Form zu halten und für die Saison bereit zu sein. Und, du weißt, nicht Entschuldigungen zu machen. Ich denke, House und ich sind etwas älter als CR. We've seen a lot of centers hit this point and it usually doesn't end well. And that was the case I made before the season.
As you get older, as you start carrying more weight, as you have some injuries and some injury history, not a lot of evidence. We saw it happen. You had Andrew Bynum that year. I think he was an All-Star in 2012 and two years later he was out of the league. When you're talking about these big 7'2", 7'3 bodies with extra weight, that's where my mind went to.
Some of the guys we've watched where it ends fast.
Yeah, but the only thing that cuts against that is that it seemed like for the very first time in his career, it finally came out of his mouth that I think I should show up to the season in shape. I think this will be the season that I will choose. And Right. Usually there's a bump from that. Right, the Olympic bump was somehow lost because he did get that experience.
He was with all of those bright minds and very successful players with their own successful regiments. And he did say afterwards, I am going to be the skinny guy. It's going to be skinny and beat.
I want to be like Tim Duncan. I want to have a thinner body. Yeah, the Tim Duncan part that he needed to internalize probably was just not saying anything. They probably needed to put a cap on the narration and the interfacing with the press about what his intentions are and where he is. And it's honestly weird hero ball stuff for him to be out there right now.
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Chapter 5: What are the expectations for the Sixers moving forward?
I think he fell down, what, eight times last night? He's just flopping around. He wears all of his emotions on his face, good and bad. Last night against Memphis was the all-time worst-case version of that.
This is not a together team. It's not being coached in a way that seems like the coach wants to be there. Maybe he does, but this is not the Nick Nurse that I thought the Sixers were getting. It's not the Nick Nurse that coached last year. And he seems super pissed about whatever the situation is. He seems disgruntled in every press conference. He seems...
Ja, aber ehrlich gesagt, man, jeder Stadt ist hart auf einem Team, der Erwartungen hat, oder? Ich meine, die Sache, die ich so überraschend finde, ist, dass ich fast wundere, ob es schlimmer wäre, wenn sie vier und sieben wären. Weißt du, was ich meine? Weil es wäre so, dass du nicht ganz auf Erwartungen spielst. Das ist ein Desaster.
Well, I was looking at their schedule. They lose every game by 10 to 20 points. I think they've had one close loss.
Every other loss is a blowout. Yeah, their net differential is fourth worst in the NBA.
That game yesterday, which, you know, they kind of fought back at the end because Memphis isn't good and also kind of fell asleep.
Oh, by the way, they also got their asses kicked by Luke Kennard and Aldama. And like, they didn't have Ja or Zidi last night. So it's not like you can like... Be like, oh, well, we got taken out by three all NBA guys. It's like, no, you lost to the B-Team Grizzlies in a kind of half-full gym.
Well, the alarming thing about Embiid, like, House, what you said earlier about why so much talking, why telling us... warum du besser fühlst, du verlierst den Gewicht. Für mich ist es wie, ich und CR, einer unserer Lieblingsfilme, Die Stadt. Es ist der Blake Lively Charakter, der sagt, Dougie, ich habe ausgetrunken, Shine und ich werden ein Apartment finden, es wird großartig sein.
Und es ist so, ich weiß nicht, ob ich das vertraue. Not to compare a bead to Blake Lively in the Town, but I guess I just did. It's like, ah, that all sounds good, but can I see it for like a year? Can I see Skinny and Bead? Can I see you play some back-to-backs? I just feel like the ship sailed. What was crazy about last night, the body language, The team just doesn't seem together at all.
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Chapter 6: How can the Sixers improve their team chemistry?
And I don't know whether his knees are just like, he's carrying too much weight, they're shot. He can't move quickly anymore. It doesn't have quick burst stuff. We also saw that in the Olympics, which is why I think they were so hesitant to play him in certain situations. He gets killed on the offensive boards now. There's guys flying around.
If you put him in a pick and roll and he has to run out to a shooter, he can't. And over and over again you watch, it's not just that they're losing, the offense that these teams are getting combined with the offensive rebounds that they can get, I think is the most alarming thing to me. He can still get his points.
I feel like he can always get to 25 or 30, but the other side of the ball is the alarming part to me.
But honestly, dude, on paper, with all due respect, House, they're not the Wizards. They shouldn't be 2-12. Paul Grange and Tyrese Maxey, I know they've missed time each, but like... Es hat sich über die letzten fünf Saisons mit den Sixers gedreht, wo die Sixers drei, fünf Wochen ohne Bedürfnisse im Mittelpunkt der Packung in der Eastern Conference waren.
Das ist literally, warum ich sie in 50 Spielen gewonnen habe.
Das ist wie eine Mutiny.
Sie haben es mitgebracht.
Ich bin nicht bereit, aufzuhalten. I almost think they're better off not playing at home. Then they play the Houston Pit Bulls on Wednesday, which is just a nightmare game. Talk about a team that plays hard and has athletes and is relentless. That's a team I don't want to play. And then they're at Detroit on November 30th. Does Nick Nurse make it out of the month for you?
Oh, of course. Of course, really? What's the thesis for getting rid of Nick Nurse? How is that going to help?
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Chapter 7: What do the Sixers need to do to make the playoffs?
Es ist nichts zu blamen. Es ist November. Die Saison, die wichtig ist, beginnt im März. Seine vorgeschriebene Winntotale ist jetzt 38,5. Ist das ein Fan-Duel? Ja, das ist es.
Oh mein Gott, das war 42,5 zwei Tage vor. Sie haben vier Wins gespielt.
Aber ich sage dir, es sind nur ein paar Schläge aus der 10-Siege. Sie sind der letzte in der Eastern Conference, gerade als wir tapen. Aber nur ein paar Spiele weg. Und sie haben gerade die siebten besten Chancen, um die Playoffs zu machen. Es ist minus 215 für die Sixers, um die Playoffs zu machen. Oh, Scheiße.
Also waren diese Chancen nicht mal auf Fando, wie drei Stunden vor, als ich tapen habe.
So CR.
The people demand it. The people are like, we have to fucking short these guys. No, to make the playoffs though.
Much better odds to make than to miss.
Yeah, but they're not, I don't think they're going to be in the top six. So. Agreed. Basically the cutoff would be the 10 seed CR. Right? So you'd have to finish above five teams. So I'm going to list some teams. Like you'll finish ahead of Washington no matter what happens. You have too much talent. That's happening. Sorry, house.
Way to go out on a limb.
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Chapter 8: How does the coaching situation affect the Sixers' performance?
Detroit und Brooklyn, du hättest zwei von diesen drei passen müssen. Detroit ist jetzt 7-9 und sie sind in diesen Spielen und Cade spielt besser als jeder von den Sixers. Kannst du eine 10-Siege erreichen?
I think you can get to a 10 seed. I think that that's going to be so far below the expectations of the franchise at this point that it's going to still be seen as an abject failure. This is not... I don't think that this team had Miami Heat expectations this season where it's like what they do is basically use the regular season as an experiment.
Whether all these storms and Spoh is making guys from G-Leaguers into All-Stars and it's just going to... They're going to scrape and claw their way into the playoffs and then nobody wants to play them. I think this is a team that was really hoping to have some kind of home court advantage in the playoffs.
And also probably to be so safe in that, that they could rest guys down the stretch and make sure Embiid was healthy. So now it's the opposite. And I think like... Ich denke, was jetzt passiert mit diesem Meeting, das jetzt öffentlich wird, ist, dass das Problem ist, dass alles eine Reaktion zu etwas anderes scheint.
Also, das Verlangen an Memphis, was sowieso nicht gut war, ist jetzt ein Fehler des Meetings, um das Team zu galvanisieren. Stimmt. Also, anstatt einfach zu sagen, du hast den Weg nach Memphis verloren, was für eine Scheiße, du hast die Saison begonnen, aber hoffentlich wird jeder zusammenkommen. Es ist jetzt so, dass das Meeting nicht funktioniert hat. Right. And B looked miserable.
He immediately comes out after the Memphis game and says, whoever leaked that is a real piece of shit. Presumably the person in the locker room did that. So that's what is happening in that locker room. George goes out. George does a podcast about the all hands meeting, the team meeting.
Oh, he did that. I missed that part. He did?
Apparently. Yeah, I haven't listened to it yet. I just saw, House was just showing me the thumbnail from it.
Definitely good to get podcast content out of it.
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