A day after the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 in Philadelphia, NBA analyst Jason Timpf raised concerns about Joel Embiid’s impact on both ends of the floor.

Philadelphia fell to 9-3 with the loss, while Embiid’s recent stretch became a focus of Wednesday’s episode of “Hoops Tonight with Jason Timpf” from The Volume.

Why Jason Timpf Thinks Joel Embiid’s Struggles Go Beyond One Loss

Timpf did not limit his criticism to one part of Embiid’s game.

“Joel Embiid is an absolute mess on both ends of the floor right now and has been for a couple of weeks. It’s in every facet of the game. … If he’s not protecting the rim, if he’s not defending in space, if he’s not rebounding, if he can’t make jump shots, and if he can’t score out of the post, he’s a damaging basketball player,” the analyst said.

The show summed up the concern more simply Wednesday evening, writing, “Philly, we have a problem,” and adding that “LeBron and Embiid need to be better.”

Against Boston, Embiid shot 2-for-9 from the field, including 1-for-3 from 3-point range, and went 11-for-13 at the free-throw line for 16 points.

He also finished without a block in 31 minutes. The Celtics scored 46 points in the paint, and Philadelphia was outscored by 8 with Embiid on the floor.

The rough shooting night was part of a larger trend. Embiid went 0-for-9 from the field in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 6 before shooting 7-for-19 in a win over the Chicago Bulls two days later.

That leaves him 9-for-37 from the field over his last 3 games. Both of his blocks during that stretch came against Cleveland.

Embiid acknowledged after Tuesday’s loss that he is still trying to find his rhythm.

“It’s a work in progress. I think … the biggest thing is just not thinking. Probably overthinking it too much, and then the rhythm of the game is different,” Embiid said.

He pointed to a made 3-pointer and a follow-up shot from the short corner as examples of what happens when he plays without hesitation.

“I just shot it and let it fly, and I made it,” he added.

Timpf’s concern also extends to Philadelphia’s defense, particularly in matchups that force Embiid to defend in space.

He said Boston’s approach reminded him of the 76ers’ season opener against the New York Knicks, with both teams repeatedly involving Embiid in pick-and-roll actions and forcing Philadelphia into rotations.

“I’m not sure Embiid’s going to be able to guard some of these teams,” Timpf said.

Philadelphia still won that opener 106-100 at Madison Square Garden. Embiid shot 4-for-15, but he blocked 3 shots, and the 76ers outscored the Knicks by 13 with him on the floor. The contrast helps explain why Timpf sees Embiid’s recent struggles as a broader issue rather than a one-game problem.