ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins criticized Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid for their availability issues during a recent *First Take* appearance. He highlighted concerns about their durability as key factors affecting their teams.
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NBA analyst throws shots at Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid over availability issues originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins managed to throw shots at two NBA superstars with one quote.
During a recent appearance on First Take, Perkins expressed concerns about the durability and availability of Los Angeles Lakers star guard Luka Doncic, and he compared Doncic to oft-injured Sixers center Joel Embiid to illustrate his point.
Doncic missed the entirety of the 2026 postseason due to a hamstring injury, and Perkins drew parallels to Embiid, who has consistently missed important games for Philadelphia over the course of his career.
āFor the last three years, itās been something come postseason time, whether itās been out of shape or dealing with some type of injuries, and majority of the time it comes to soft tissue injuries,ā Perkins said of Doncic.
Kendrick Perkins expressed concerns about the durability and availability of both Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid, comparing Doncic's situation to Embiid's injury history.
Their availability issues are significant as they impact their teams' performance and playoff potential, given both players are key superstars in the NBA.
Perkins' criticism may affect their reputations by highlighting concerns over their reliability and ability to stay healthy throughout the season.
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āIf youāre the Lakers, you have a concern there, because you could get through the regular season, and Luka is a fantastic talent. Weāre not going to take that away from him. One of the best scorers that this game has ever seen. But when it comes to being reliable, Luka is starting to get in that territory of Joel Embiid. When you need him the most, and it comes postseason time, heās not available.ā
This story will be updated.
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