Subscribe
Follow Us
Joel Embiid is taking a different strategy going into his fourth NBA season, managing his own workload after losing 20-plus pounds and putting some lofty goals on his board. Embiid was plagued with knee tendinitis throughout the season despite playing a career-best 64 games for the Philadelphia 76ers, but the injuries, including his back, came back to haunt him during the most crucial of time in the postseason, which resulted in a heart-wrenching loss to the Toronto Raptors in seven games:
Article Continues Below“Last year I played the most games I've ever played, 64. This year I see myself playing over 70 games,” said a hopeful Embiid, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. “That's going to be good for us because we're trying to get the No. 1 seed and we're trying to win over 60 games. It's going to help me because I need that team success if I want to win be able to win MVP or Defensive Player of the Year.”
Embiid has been on the record of having both of the aforementioned awards in his sights, as well shooting to be the best team in the East. The big man will try to pace himself through the course of the season after meeting with head coach Brett Brown and general manager Elton Brand to discuss playing less minutes per game, which will allow him to take part in more games altogether:
“Last year I started off too high, playing 35-36 minutes a game and then I started slowing down,” said Embiid. “This year, we're going to start off, not slow and not a minute restriction, but we'll start off at the right number, like 30-31 minutes to start, and then as the season goes on you start ramping up. It's hard to balance it. I'm competitive. I want to be out there with my guys. But you can win MVP playing 70 games.”
As many have said: “the best ability is availability,” and if Embiid can make himself available for 70 games or more, the Sixers have a pretty good chance to come close to their 60-win goal in 2019-20.
