Joel Embiid is a competitor, he doesn’t like being told he has to sit a game for rest.
What he likes least is missing 39 games during the regular season, not being healthy for the playoffs, and getting bounced in the first round despite an epic effort through a sore knee. He doesn’t like always fighting through nagging injuries in the postseason and never getting past the second round.
That’s why he’s open to the idea of missing half of back-to-backs or sitting other nights for load management this season — just don’t expect him to go quietly. Here’s what Embiid said while laughing about being forced to rest this season, from 76ers training camp in the Bahamas, as reported by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
“It’s going to be hard… They know if they have to punch me, slap me, take my stuff away from me. [to] in order not to enter that court, they will have to do that. I might go crazy, I might curse people, but I think it’s a relationship. We have been working together for years. Now I’m looking at the big picture, and I’ve always listened to them, but now is even more of a time where I should listen and see what they have to say.”
That echoes what Embiid said Monday at Philadelphia media day, via NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“(President of basketball operations Daryl Morey) would tell you this: As soon as we lost last year, I sent him a text and I said, ‘We have to do whatever it takes to make sure that, in the postseason, I’m healthy .’
“This year, there’s no agenda — All-Star, All-NBA, there’s none of that. It’s whatever it takes to make sure I get to that point and I’m ready to go. Basically every year of my career. , I was injured in the playoffs I think it’s do whatever it takes to get there I’m not where I want to be got their support and they all want the same Until I’m at that point where they feel I’m ready go, I’m sure they’re going to hold me back whatever it takes to get to that stage and be healthy, I think with the guys we have and what I can bring to the table, we have a pretty good chance.”
With the addition of Paul George on the wing next to homegrown star Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia is a legitimate threat to dethrone Boston in the East, but it all depends on getting Embiid and George healthy for the playoffs. That Embiid is willing to give up chasing postseason awards — which means playing in at least 65 games — in order to be healthy for a postseason push shows his commitment to winning. He also stated that he dropped 25-30 pounds this season.
Those are good signs for 76ers fans who dream of their team playing in late May and possibly June. It should be noted that Embiid qualifies under the league’s “player participation policy” which states that the 76ers cannot sit him for rest for nationally televised or NBA Cup games (although, a month into the season every player in the league has enough bumps and bruises they could be sat out for medical reasons for a game if the team really wants to). That policy includes the 65-game rule for postseason awards, which Embiid says he’s willing to ignore.
It’s pre-season, everyone is upbeat and saying the right things. Embiid is saying all the right things about the playoffs. Before that time, however, Philadelphia has a lot of work to do to build chemistry and assemble a championship roster, all while staying healthy. If that means missing games, Embiid gets that now.
