In what has easily been the most compelling 1st Round series of the 2024 NBA Playoffs thus far, the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers will take the floor tonight inside of Wells Fargo Center for a highly-anticipated Game 6. Among the many interesting storylines that this series has already produced — the Jalen Brunson/Tyrese Maxey point guard battle, the emergence of the Nova Knicks, a handful of absolutely nutty endings — it’s been the the evolution of the public perception of Joel Embiid that has perhaps been the most noteworthy.

This morning on Get Up, ESPN’s Zach Lowe offered up a pretty astute take on how the way Joel Embiid is viewed around the league is beginning to change.

“He’s becoming the tragic hero of the NBA. All the injuries, all the stuff that he goes through every single year, and like this, two weeks in, a few kind of dirty plays later and a bad Game 5 that Tyrese Maxey bailed him out in. He’s gone from tragic hero to tragic villain in a lot of quarters. And I also think it’s been a little bit like it got negative real fast for a guy who just had knee surgery, is clearly hobbled, came back and saved their season, has freaking Bell’s Palsy on top of everything else, and is trying to gut this out. But look his playoff record hasn’t measured up to his regular season record and every one of these big games you only get so many of them.”

Zach Lowe is right about everything, specifically in relation to Embiid’s postseason numbers compared to his regular season numbers.

Embiid last four regular seasons: 31.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 52-36-85 shooting splits

Embiid last four postseasons: 26.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 47-29-85 shooting splits

Now don’t get me wrong, 26-10-3 is certainly not a stat line to scoff at, but in comparison to what we’ve seen Joel Embiid do in the regular season — dominate at a nearly unprecedented level — it’s impossible to ignore the fact that when the chips are down, for one reason or another, Embiid’s play almost always suffers.

(And yes, I am aware that we’re just one week removed from a 50-point performance from Joel Embiid)

“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” 

Following Zach Lowe’s extended Embiid point, Get Up host Mike Greenberg made a solid point of his own… for the entirety of Joel Embiid’s career in Philadelphia, 76ers fans have always been quick to point the finger of blame at anyone other than Embiid whenever Philly faltered in the Playoffs. Whether that be Brett Brown, Ben Simmons, James Harden or Doc Rivers, it’s been rare that Embiid has been the one who has taken on any substantial share of the blame.

Now the tide may be turning, and not just in Philadelphia. Batman may no longer be welcome in Gotham City. It turns out, Harvey Dent was right all along.

Joel Embiid has been the white whale that the New York Knicks have been rumored to want to pursue for years, but given how he’s been hit with “F*** Embiid” chants from Knicks fans in both Philadelphia and New York, it’s harder to envision that partnership materializing now than it was one year ago.

So what is Joel Embiid to do as the 76ers and Knicks prepare for Game 6? I’ll leave that answer to Batman’s loyal butler/friend/father figure, Alfred Pennyworth:

“Endure, Master Wayne. Take it. They’ll hate you for it, but that’s the point of Batman, he can be the outcast.”