Almost a year ago today Angelo Cataldi let his feelings be known about Joel Embiid. Making his first appearance in a 76ers uniform, Embiid “only” scored 6 points in 13 minutes (more than a 20-point average over 48 minutes), and didn’t do NEARLY enough to impress Cataldi.

He was underwhelmed, UNDERWHELMED as the rest of the Philadelphia “sheeple” fawned over his obvious talent and promise.

We were proved right, he was proved wrong.

One year later, is Philadelphia’s own Fredo Corleone FINALLY impressed by JoJo?

He played for 15 minutes, scored 22 points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out three assists, and had a monstrous block…seems like it would elicit some kind of a positive response from Angelo “Fredo” Cataldi…I’m sure Johnny Ola was impressed, at the very least.

“It ain’t the way I wanted it! I can handle things! I’m smart! Not like everybody says… like dumb… I’m smart and I want respect!”

Healthy dose of sarcasm. I see what you’re doing, Fredo.

I hate myself for falling into this trap. Cataldi uses his Twitter account the way I use my twitter account….to get responses out of the rubes that actually think we believe what we’re saying.

He’s a smart guy. I respect Cataldi, despite all of the shit I talk about him, he’s a great journalist and for someone who has watched basketball for as long as he has there is NO WAY he could not be excited about Embiid.

But I fall for it every single time he tweets out an obvious statement to piss everyone off. He’s got me in the palm of his hand every time I check his account and want to put my fist through my computer.

God damn you Cataldi. Maybe I’m Fredo after all. Maybe Cataldi is the calculating and cunning Michael, setting me up for a midday fishing venture and a bullet in my head.

On the other hand….

Yeah. Never mind. He’s Fredo.