The Philadelphia 76ers want to take it slow with Joel Embiid as the 2017-18 season gets underway. That’s a big reason why coach Brett Brown told reporters Monday that Embiid’s minutes could be “in the teens” to open the season.
When told of Brown’s comments on Monday, Embiid was upset as you would expect, but measured in his words. After Tuesday’s practice, his position on the topic took a decidedly different turn, writes Jessica Camerato of NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com:
“That’s f—ing BS,” he said after practice Tuesday. “I wish I was playing more minutes. I think I’m ready for more than I don’t know whatever number they have.”
The Sixers are eyeing 16 minutes for Embiid on opening night on Wednesday. He played nearly 15 minutes in his two preseason games and feels he can handle more, adding his previously-injured left knee and ankle “felt great.”
He has expressed his feelings to the team.
“I always think I have a voice so I’m sure they’re listening to what I have to say too,” he said. “But they’re making a decision based on what they think. But I think that’s BS.”
Embiid’s desire to play more minutes likely will be an ongoing situation this season, or at least early on. He expected to be cleared for 24 minutes at this point. (In comparison, he logged 22:25 last opening night.) Embiid feels the best way to get his body in game shape is to actually be in the game, not training on a cardio machine.
“I think the concept of minute restrictions is kind of complicated,” Embiid said. “I don’t think there should ever be minute restrictions. I think it should always be about how my body feels and how it’s reacting.”
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The coaching staff is faced with the tricky task of managing Embiid’s allotted minutes over a 48-minute span. Brett Brown is considering using up his playing time in the first half instead of spacing it out to have him available in the fourth quarter.
Embiid estimates if he started the third, as an example, he would be resting for 16 minutes before he got the nod late in the final quarter. He said that is “tough” on both his body and on the coaches. Brown agrees after trying to balance his playing time last season.
“You think it’s smart to save four minutes to end a game with him, but the canyons in between where he just sits there and sits there and then he’s got to come in and save the day, I don’t know if I like that,” Brett Brown said.
“It’s on my mind, do we just spend our money and we’ll get you more money the next game and so on, and just play him regularly and grow it from that base versus he sits forever and then he’s just got to come in and save the day. Or oops, it goes to overtime and, ‘Sorry, you can’t play against Memphis in overtime.'”
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“I think this is a big year for the whole team and me personally,” Embiid said. “I feel like I’ve got something to prove, too. So I want to be out there with my teammates and win some games.”
