The Philadelphia 76ers have started the season 2-0 after beating the likes of the Charlotte Hornets and the Boston Celtics in their first two matches. Once again, the spotlight was on Joel Embiid, who has been on a minutes restriction thus far after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason.
“I’d rather not minute restrictions, but I’d rather get it out of the way… Longer stints, you’ll actually be able to let the game come to you. But then again, longer stints also means you might be done by halftime. But I can’t sit for too long,” he said about the 20 minutes he has logged in the two outings thus far, per Bleacher Report.
And while he completely trusts the coaching staff around him to decide his minutes, Embiid also acknowledges the need for him to play consistent basketball.
“Being in shape is one thing, but being in basketball shape is another thing. You need to play, and you need to play a lot. I guess I trust them, and until I’m over it, I’m going to keep trying,” he revealed.
Joel Embiid returned from offseason knee surgery after an approximately eight-month layoff dating to late February last season. He played just 19 games last season and no season in his career with more than 68 games.
Embiid struggled in the opener against the Celtics, finishing with four points and six rebounds on 1-for-9 shooting. He reached his 20-minute limit with 9:18 remaining in the fourth quarter and watched from the bench as Philadelphia rallied to a 117–116 win.
“I have no idea. I make my case every day. If they listen to me, good. If they don’t, I guess that’s on them,” Embiid said when asked if he knew when the minutes might increase.
In the home opener against the Hornets, he produced 20 points on 7-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-6 from three, and hit his 20-minute cap with more than seven minutes left in the third quarter. For the second straight game, he was a spectator for a fourth-quarter comeback.
