CAMDEN, N.J. — As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for the 2023-24 season, there are many questions that need to be answered. The big one, of course, is going to be the James Harden outcome. The Sixers absolutely have to figure that one out.
Another one is the health of Joel Embiid. The Sixers want to ensure they deliver a healthy Embiid to the playoffs. That is the one thing that has held them back from making a deep playoff run in the past. The big fella has been hit with a number of unfortunate and ill-timed injuries.
In the past, the Sixers load managed Embiid to ensure his health. However, the NBA has a new resting policy that seeks to limit the amount of rest healthy players get throughout the season. The goal is for star players to play in as many games as possible.
“I’ll speak for myself; I don’t ever load manage,” Embiid said on Monday at media day. “I want to play every game. If I’m not playing, it probably means that something is not right. They don’t think something is right so as far as myself, I always want to play and that’s always the goal. You only got such a short amount of time to take advantage of this and really enjoy it.”
If that’s the case, then the Sixers maybe should limit his minutes or something of that nature to deliver him to the postseason at his best. Philadelphia will go as far as Embiid takes them, so his health will be a focal point all season.
For what it’s worth, coach Nick Nurse mentioned he wants Embiid to play as many games as possible. That bodes well for the mindset of the reigning MVP.
“I’m getting up there,” Embiid added. “I’m 29 years old. I got about 10 more years left. Maybe more, we’ll see, maybe less, but you want to enjoy it as much as possible. You want to play as many games as possible. So my goal is to play and if I’m not on the floor to start a game, that means there’s something wrong.”
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