The 76ers have a new motto this season for Joel Embiid: Trust the plan.
Embiid’s absence from Philadelphia’s season opener against Milwaukee is part of the team’s strategy to ensure the two-time NBA scoring champion stays healthy throughout the season and hopefully makes the playoffs for the first time in his career.
He was ruled out against Milwaukee due to what the Sixers call left knee management. It looks like he will also miss road games on Friday in Toronto and Sunday in Indiana, which has drawn criticism from fans and analysts.
Paul George did not play in his debut with the 76ers after leaving the Clippers and signing a four-year, $212 million deal this summer. George suffered a bone bruise from hyperextending his left knee in the preseason and will be reevaluated later this week.
Like last season when they struggled without Embiid, the 76ers faced challenges again, losing to the Bucks 124-109 on Wednesday night.
All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey shot 10 of 31 from the field and scored 25 points, while the team fell behind by as many as 22 points. They effectively used a preseason lineup that included Maxey, Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre Jr., KJ Martin, and Eric Gordon.
“We played one game. I’m not going to say we played badly just because Jo was out,” Maxey said. “Yes, we didn’t win, which is the goal. But we’ve been without Jo all preseason and training camp for the most part. He’s ramping up. … Winning can’t depend solely on Joel Embiid.”
Embiid, who often deals with injuries, has faced criticism from former players, media, and frustrated fans on social media for not playing on opening night after sitting out the preseason due to his sore left knee.
The Sixers mentioned that Embiid was “responding well” to his personalized rehab plan and was set to practice this week. He will be reevaluated over the weekend.
Last season, Embiid played in only 39 games due to knee surgery after he tore the meniscus in his left knee on January 30 against Golden State. He came back for the playoffs but was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy during a first-round loss to the Knicks.
This summer, he won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA. Coach Nick Nurse said before the opener that Embiid did not have any new injury to his left knee.
“The plan is why he’s not playing,” Nurse explained. “… The plan is that we don’t feel like he’s quite ready, strong enough, or light enough … they’ve decided that he’s not ready to go.”
Nurse stated that Embiid is part of the group deciding when the 2023 NBA MVP will play this season, which likely means he won’t play in both games of back-to-back matchups.
“Our medical team is the top priority,” Nurse said. “Joel is involved, along with the front office and myself, and we’re all considering this … . We’re just trying to do something different to get him to the playoffs this time.” The NBA is also paying attention to Embiid’s situation.
The league made changes before last season to make sure that star players participate in more games, especially in big televised matches like the opener and the in-season tournament.
The NBA’s plan includes increasing fines for breaking its rules, which could go up to a million dollars.
Hall of Famers and TNT commentators Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal were among those criticizing Embiid for his limited playing time.
“You cannot say as a leader of that team, I’m not going to play certain games,” Barkley said. “That’s not the way to start the season.”
The 30-year-old Embiid signed a $193 million contract before training camp. The 76ers have not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2001, largely because Embiid has struggled to stay healthy.
The 76ers had a record of 31-8 last season with Embiid and 16-27 without him.
Before training camp, Embiid mentioned that he lost about 25 to 30 pounds to stay in better shape for the long season. This includes being careful not to rush back from any knee issues.
Embiid was the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft but missed his first two full seasons due to injuries. Since his first full season in 2016, Embiid has played in 433 out of a possible 801 regular-season games and only 59 out of 67 possible playoff games.
