Daryl Morey Issues Reminder for Joel Embiid’s Critics on Social Media

Daryl Morey has a message.

As the 2023-2024 NBA season progresses, one popular narrative continues to follow the Philadelphia 76ers' center, Joel Embiid.

As the reigning MVP continues to dominate the league with his free throw shooting, his constant trips to the charity stripe often lead to debates about whether or not his ability to win the NBA’s scoring title is valid.

On Sunday, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey issued his yearly reminder.

Seems we have to remind folks of this every season https://t.co/d4ZCp5jbwh pic.twitter.com/fS3zQA3kdd

— Daryl Morey 🗽🏀 (@dmorey) January 21, 2024

“Seems we have to remind folks of this every season,” Morey wrote on X. 

This year, Embiid is leading the NBA in free throws per game. In the 31 games he appeared in, Embiid has averaged 11.9 attempts from the foul line per outing. 

Last season, that number was at 11.7 free throw attempts per game, which ranked second behind Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The two swapped spots on the list from the year before that, as Embiid led the league with 11.8 free throws per game during the 2021-2022 regular season.

It’s obviously no secret that Embiid’s a frequent flyer to the free throw line, but the amount of trips he takes per game typically causes frustration because of his ability to capitalize. 

As Embiid becomes a master of the mid-range, his free throw shooting has become one of his many dangerous weapons on the offensive end. When Embiid led the league in free throw attempts per game in 2021-2022, he knocked down 81.4 percent of his foul shots.

Last year, that number bumped up to 85.7 percent. Once again, the big man improved there as well. With nearly 12 free throws per game, Embiid is knocking down his foul shots at an 88.6 percent clip. Mix that in with the fact that he’s leading the NBA in points per game for the third straight year, and it’s once again opened up a can of criticism from his naysayers.

Embiid often pushes back on the free throw-related criticism by praising his ability to draw contact and get himself an easy pair of shots. Meanwhile, Daryl Morey and much of the 76ers’ fan base simply say stop fouling the big man if it’s become such a pain to watch.