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The Philadelphia 76ers are somehow already dealing with the injury bug before their 2024-25 NBA season has even begun, as both Joel Embiid and Paul George will miss Wednesday evening's home opener vs the Milwaukee Bucks. Embiid in particular found himself the subject of criticism from former 76ers star Charles Barkley on Tuesday night's edition of TNT's Inside the NBA, with Barkley saying he was “disappointed” in Embiid's proclamation that he wouldn't be playing in back to back's this season.
Now, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN is firing back at Barkley and TNT co-host Shaquille O'Neal, who also dug into Embiid on Tuesday.
“I can't believe what came out of their mouth,” said Smith on First Take. “Joel Embiid has missed 329 games in his career… foot, knee, health protocols, back, hand, face, ankle, shoulder, calf, hip, elbow, rib… is there a part of the body that I missed? This dude has been hurt over every imaginable injury that you can find on the human body. I don't understand how they can have a problem considering all the injuries he's sustained.”
Are the 76ers making the right choice?
Joel Embiid has yet to embark on a playoff run where he isn't either severely compromised by injury or misses time due to one, which continued in last year's first round loss to the New York Knicks
While Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey in theory make up the NBA's most well-constructed “Big Three,” the reality of Embiid and George's injury histories make it a dubious proposition at best that the three will all be healthy and in the lineup come playoff time.
Head coach Nick Nurse will be tasked with keeping the team afloat in what is almost guaranteed to be a crowded Eastern Conference playoff picture this season while simultaneously making sure that both Embiid and George have enough left in the tank to be the best versions of themselves come playoff time.
Last year, Embiid missed the majority of the season due to a knee injury sustained in January, and the 76ers floundered in the standings as a result, eventually having to win a play-in game in order to secure their matchup with the Knicks.
In any case, Embiid has already been ruled out for the 76ers' first two games as he ramps back up from injury, while George is also slated to miss Wednesday evening's tilt with the Bucks.
