CAMDEN, N.J. — The last time everybody saw Philadelphia 76ers star big man Joel Embiid, the big fella had a mask on and he was dealing with a facial fracture suffered in the opening round of the playoffs.
In the series clincher with the Toronto Raptors, Embiid took an elbow to the face from Raptors star Pascal Siakam, and the big fella was diagnosed with a concussion and a fracture. He missed the first two games of the second round series with the Miami Heat, and the injury hampered him in the games he did play.
As he begins the 2022-23 season, Embiid updated his health and where he’s at heading into the season.
“I’m feeling great. I was in bed all summer,” he joked at media day on Monday. “I’m healthy. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to compete, and it’s gonna be fun.”
As far as his goals for the new season are concerned, Embiid normally makes some proclamation that he wants to win MVP or he wants to win DPOY, but this time around, he just wants to win.
“Whatever happens, happens,” said Embiid who was the MVP runner-up two seasons in a row. “That’s something I’m not worried about at all. All I’m worried about is having the best team in the league because if you win games, everything else is gonna take care of itself so my focus going into this year is I really want us to be the best defensive team in the league and then, offensively, I think we can easily figure it out.”
Just like James Harden, Embiid has accomplished a lot in his NBA career. His resume is not yet as decorated as Harden’s, but both are missing that championship that validates a lot of careers.
“Obviously, during the regular season, gotta make sure everybody stays healthy,” Embiid finished. “Especially, because our goal is to win a championship, but just going out there trying to win every single game, and be the best team in the league.”
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