Embiid clarifies he isn't upset with Butler's impact on role

Joel Embiid clarified his comments that seemed to hint at some division among the Philadelphia 76ers' crucial stakeholders, saying to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey that he's not upset with his role or with the trade that netted the team four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.

Instead, the 24-year-old is just disappointed in himself.

Nevertheless, Sixers head coach Brett Brown was reportedly displeased with how Embiid chose to voice his frustrations to the media. Earlier in the week, Embiid said he felt out of sorts, citing the Nov. 12 acquisition of Butler as the start of his personal slump.

“Since the trade, it’s been really down,” Embiid told Pompey. “I tend to get triple-teamed a lot. I was in the flow of the offense. I feel like I’m not any more. There’s not a lot of possessions on the block. I don’t know. We got to figure it out.”

That raised eyebrows from those waiting to see whether the gregarious center would be able to co-exist alongside another commanding personality. Though he's only been with the team for nearly a month, Butler has enjoyed playing with Embiid so far, according to Pompey.

Since Butler's Sixers debut, Embiid has averaged 23.8 points on 43.1 percent shooting, down from 28.2 points on 48.4 percent shooting through his first 15 appearances of the season.

Even with Embiid's dip in scoring efficiency, the team is 8-3 with both the towering Cameroonian and Butler in the lineup. With 55 games left in the regular season, there's plenty of time for Brown to find a balance between the two.