One of the bigger questions surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers whenever the season does resume is whether Joel Embiid will be in good enough condition. The criticism of Embiid has always been whether he is in shape to play at a high-level night in and night out.
This quarantine has everybody wondering if Embiid has been in the gym and still taking care of his body especially when considering he was also dealing with a shoulder injury prior to the shutdown. According to general manager Elton Brand, the big man is itching to get back in the gym and get back to work.
“He’s going to be ready and ramped up,” explained Brand on Tuesday. “Tobias (Harris), a similar situation, he’s been getting treatment on and off, but most of our players are in market, by the way. Tobias is in market and he’s been getting treatment also and I count those players as guys that will have access to basketball hoops very shortly, if they don’t.”
Sixers’ Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid we’re allowed to use teams practice facility for some rehab, I’m told.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) May 5, 2020
The NBA has announced that teams can begin to re-open their training facilities on May 8 and the Sixers plan to allow their players to get back to work.
“Ben (Simmons), and others, have been given permission to use our facility,” Brand said. “It’s essential that they can get the proper equipment, to workout, and rehab, so that’s where he’s been. He’s been doing that ever since the first week we were able to get him access there. Joel Embiid’s been working out. You know, his conditioning, his focus, he’s asking about when his trainer can come in, when he can get on the court. I wouldn’t bet against him.”
The challenge for the Sixers is that they practice in Camden, New Jersey. The state has yet to really loosen their stay at home orders and that is something that Brand and his team will have to look at. However, he also has backup plans ready for Embiid and the rest of the team to get their workouts in.
“So we’ll look at access in New Jersey, Pennsylvania as they’re loosening the stay at home mandates,” he added. “But also we have a great facility right in Wilmington, Delaware, that our G-League team, the Blue Coats, play in and practice in that’s really state of the art. You know, I have backup plans ready and available for our guys when they need it, and when it’s deemed safe, and if they want it. Again, these are voluntary. There’s no coaches, Brett (Brown) and his staff can’t be there, but we’re looking, I’m looking at everything to make sure that the players get what they need.”
Whatever the case is, the Sixers are prepping as if there will be a season resumption and they have done their research on the Boston Celtics who would be their Round 1 opponent if the season were to just be scrapped. Embiid will have to be ready for a battle with Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter if that were to be the case. [lawrence-related id=30501,30493,30474]