Hall of Fame coach George Karl criticizes Sixers star Joel Embiid: ‘He has lazy body language’

“I can only like one big guy, and I take Jokic over Embiid,” the former Nuggets coach told SiriusXM when asked about the NBA MVP race.

Sixers center Joel Embiid watches Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic catches the basketball on Saturday, January 28, 2023 in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Staff Reports

Published Mar. 20, 2023, 2:34 p.m. ET

Former Denver Nuggets coach George Karl became the latest NBA alum to weigh in on the MVP race between 76ers star Joel Embiid and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

But Karl took his statement a little father than most, criticizing Embiid rather than simply serving as a proponent of either player. Speaking with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Karl said the Sixers center takes too many possessions off as he explained why he favored Jokic, the league’s back-to-back MVP, for the award.

“He has lazy body language,” Karl said. “He gets angry at things that we don’t understand why. I just don’t know if he’s that NBA pro that we all love because he’s a competitive SOB.”

Here’s Karl’s full quote, with a transcription below:

I don’t want to bad mouth Embiid because I think he’s really, really good. A lot of my assistant coaches were in Philadelphia when he was a young player, they kept telling me that he was going to be the best guy to ever play the game. I see him moving in that direction, but he takes too many possessions off. He has lazy body language. He gets angry at things that we don’t understand why. I just don’t know if he’s that NBA pro that we all love because he’s a competitive SOB.

From what I know in Philadelphia, everybody says he’s playing great. In games I’ve seen, he played really, really well. He’s played great in the 4th quarters, came up with a lot of comeback wins. I can only like one big guy, and I take Jokic over Embiid.

George Karl, Sirius XM NBA Radio

The numbers don’t support Karl’s claims. Embiid has been healthier and more dominant than at any other point in his career, leading the league at 33.5 points per game and picking up his efforts on defense. He’s paired that with 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals.

Embiid is also putting forth his most efficient season, shooting 54.6% from the field, 85.5% from the free-throw line and 35.5% from three.

Of course, Karl’s statements have to be taken with a grain of salt because of his connections to Denver. He also has some ties to the Sixers franchise, as his son, Coby, is head coach of the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G League affiliate.