Shaq Went On TV Last Night And Absolutely Buried Ben Simmons
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While it is true that there are times where Shaq and Chuck will hate on this current generation of players and sometimes sound like they don't even enjoy the sport they cover, at the end of the day this is what makes them so good on Inside The NBA. They've both walked the walk. Sure Chuck doesn't have a ring, but he's one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA. He's on the Top 75 team, a first ballot HOFer, and it's not his fault he ran into Jordan's Bulls. With Shaq, he has the hardware and the whole "most dominant player maybe ever" thing backing him up. Basically, when they talk about stuff like this, you listen.
I'm just not sure where Shaq is wrong. Joel Embiid has taken all of his criticism and has very clearly used it to fuel a version of a player that is doing some of the craziest shit we've ever seen from a guy at his position. Saying he's been dominant doesn't even really do him justice if we're being honest. It's video game shit that shouldn't be possible for a player his size yet it is, and he shows up every single night. Good teams, bad teams, doesn't matter. Even as someone who doesn't exactly root for the Sixers, I have eyes. It's in part why he's rightfully jumping up the MVP list. What I find interesting is last year, Embiid's jump, and what made him such a tough cover was an insane midrange shot. He shot an absurd 49% from midrange last year which has dropped to 43% this year, but it hasn't mattered. He's continued to evolve in other areas now that his midrange shooting has come back down to earth. You can tell that his underachievement previously in his career and all the scrutiny that came with it, that Embiid did not run and hide. It clearly motivated him and that's why you have guys like Shaq showing him love and respect. Real recognize real in a sense. It's what you want from your franchise player. He wants to be great and is willing to put in the work to achieve that level.
With Simmons, it's pretty obvious the exact opposite has happened. Nothing we've seen from him shows he uses the negative stuff that comes with his faults as motivation. Where has the improvement been over the years? He's sitting out the season because his coach and teammate were maybe a little mean? Yeah, no shit Shaq doesn't respect that and is going to bury that guy. Shaq cannot stand when players don't live up to their potential or put in the work to be great. That's how he's always been. The thing is, I highly doubt any of this will matter to Simmons. It's not like he's going to hear Shaq say this and be like "you know what? Shaq is right. Time to change my ways".
I also don't think this was a bit or anything from Shaq. That was genuine disgust. It's what makes that show so awesome to watch. If anyone knows about dealing with scrutiny, I'm pretty sure Shaq is qualified. He did what the greats do, he responded with dominance. I don't want to speak for Philly fans, but my guess is a lot of them agree with what Shaq said. Despite all that drama, the Sixers are right in the thick of things in the East. That's Joel Embiid.
It'd be one thing if some no name former player was saying stuff like this. But when it comes from an all time great? It certainly holds more weight, especially when all they are doing is telling the truth.