While a lot of the Philadelphia 76ers faithful love the Nick Nurse hiring, some NBA fans couldn't help but make jokes about the decision and how it will impact Joel Embiid.

The biggest reason for the trolling, of course, is Nurse's minutes distribution for his team … or the lack thereof. During his time with the Toronto Raptors, the 55-year-old head coach's rotation eventually grew thin. He ended up giving his key guys plenty of minutes, which many can see happening with Embiid in Philly.

In the 2022-23 season, Raptors forward Pascal Siakam actually led the league in minutes per game with 37.4. Fred VanVleet was fifth on the list with 36.7. There are two more Toronto players in the Top 30, with OG Anunoby (35.6) at no. 16 and Scottie Barnes (34.8) at no. 37. Embiid was no. 30 with 34.6 minutes per game under Doc Rivers last campaign.

Of course, many are wondering if Embiid is ready for such an increased workload with Nurse at the helm. And they got the knee jokes to accompany their questions.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
76ers' Tyrese Maxey

Sam DiGiovanni ·

76ers' Nick Nurse and Tyrese Maxey angry, with a blindfold on referee John Goble

Jedd Pagaduan ·

Philadelphia 76ers Knicks NBA Playoffs refs officiating grievance

Peter Sampson ·

All jokes aside, there's definitely a reason for Sixers fans to be concerned about Nick Nurse's game management and how it will affect Joel Embiid. Considering Embiid's injury history, it might not be a good idea to further increase his minutes.

Nurse is more likely well aware of that, of course. Nonetheless, given the fact that he demands so much from his players, it won't be a surprise if we still see a bump in Embiid's minutes in 2023-24.

Good luck Embiid … and take care of your knee!