Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey addressed teammate Joel Embiid regarding his lateness during a team meeting after their recent loss to the Miami Heat, as reported by a source familiar with the discussion to YSL News Sports.

This source chose to remain anonymous because they weren’t authorized to speak about the meeting’s content publicly.

The source mentioned that Maxey and Embiid hold each other in high regard. The remarks made were intended from a place of concern for the team’s well-being. Maxey urged Embiid to enhance his leadership, clarifying that there was no bad blood between them.

The Sixers are struggling with a poor 2-11 record, having lost four games in a row and nine of their last ten. They are currently tied with Washington for the lowest record in the NBA and have incurred a $100,000 fine due to “inconsistent public statements made by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse regarding Embiid’s health, violating NBA rules, including the Player Participation Policy.”

Embiid has only participated in three games, while Maxey is sidelined with an injury, and offseason addition Paul George is struggling following an early-season injury. These three players were expected to be the foundation of a championship-ready team, yet they have yet to play together this season.

Embiid, the 2022-23 MVP, missed the first six games of the season due to a left knee problem, faced a suspension for a physical altercation with a reporter in the locker room, and has not performed well in the three games he has participated in, averaging only 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds with a shooting percentage of 32.4%.

As reported by ESPN, both players and coaches had a chance to express their thoughts during the meeting. The players expressed a desire for Nurse to push them harder, while the coaches encouraged the team to approach practice with commitment and focus. It was noted that Embiid expressed uncertainty about his role, according to ESPN and The Athletic.

The Sixers have brought in several new players, including George, who signed a four-year, $211.5 million contract with Philadelphia during the offseason, along with Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson, Guerschon Yabusele, and rookie Jared McCain.

The team was expected to be in competition with Boston for the top position in the Eastern Conference. A silver lining is that after Cleveland and Boston, the teams in the East are closely grouped, with Philadelphia only four games out of fifth place, currently held by Atlanta.

There remains an opportunity for the Sixers to regain their health and turn their season around. However, it’s clear that significant effort is needed.

ESPN was the first to report the details of the team meeting.