Raptors: Joel Embiid calling out Nick Nurse is laughably ironic

While Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors are licking their wounds and figuring out where to put the blame at home, Joel Embiid and the rival Philadelphia 76ers have used a scintillating late-season run to make it back to the postseason and earn the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

After beating the Raptors in six games last season, Embiid and Doc Rivers have quickly taken a 2-0 lead over the Brooklyn Nets following two straight home wins. Rather than bask in that glory, Embiid has instead used these wins as an opportunity to get another dig in at Nurse.

Embiid called out Nurse in his postgame press conference after going up 2-0 in the series. Embiid said that the Nets were taking “the Nick Nurse route” that involved begging for free throws and yelling at the referees to influence their calls. The humor in these quotes were not lost on Raptors fans.

Listen, Joel. You are maybe the was player in the league and, at worst, in the top five. Even with that, you have to have some self-awareness. Hearing you complain about someone else begging for free throws when a big part of your game is getting to the free throw line 15 times per game is rich irony.

Joel Embiid calls out Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors

Embiid led the league in free throw attempts per game last season and came in second to Giannis Antetokounmpo this season. Even still, he seems to think that complaining about not getting foul calls is a trait exclusive to Nurse and the Raptors. Does he not watch his own tape?

Embiid’s views on Toronto have varied wildly over the years. While he originally praised the team’s swarming defense and said they are one of the few units that can slow him down to some degree, he also has been quoted as saying the Raptors would rather mather the opposing stars look bad than win the game. 

As for Nurse constantly berating the refs when he believes that he isn’t getting calls, Embiid is unfortunately spot on there. Coaches will yell at officials until the heat death of the universe, but Nurse is without question one of the most animated on the bench.

There is nothing Raptors fans can use to rip Embiid and the 76ers that has any staying power, as Toronto was clearly a much worse team this season. Still, it’s funny that Embiid has Nurse on his mind in the middle of a playoff series against a hated division rival.