Knee issues have left Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid contemplating “never again” playing in back-to-back NBA games. He told ESPN, “If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career.” The 76ers are optimistic about their chances to win an NBA championship this season, and Embiid’s health and time management will be key to achieving that goal.
Last season, Embiid missed a total of 43 games, and now the coaching staff plans to reduce some of his playing time, mainly by limiting back-to-backs as a coping strategy. Former NBA champion and 15-time All-Star Kevin Garnett does not agree with this approach.
On his show, KG Certified, Garnett criticized how the 76ers are managing Joel Embiid’s injury issues, saying it’s an issue the rest of the NBA needs to address.
Kevin Garnett on how NBA teams are handling “time management” and injuries
Garnett stated, “The league’s got to get this under control. This is all over the place, real s*** and nobody is saying nothing. Ain’t nobody holding anyone accountable.” He added, “So, not only are they not going to practice, they’re going to sit out? Back-to-backs? So, guess what teams are going to do? Teams now can lock in on you.”
“OK, let me see where Philly’s playing. ‘OK, here, here, and here,’ they’re going to go; ‘who is the team that we can have a better chance to beat tonight?’ Some nights, they’re going to have Boston and Orlando,” Garnett continued. “OK, let’s go ahead. You’re going to play Orlando. That’s what’s going to happen.”
“The point is they’re not in shape. Let’s just keep it 100… They’re not in shape, and that’s why everybody is getting injured. You see everybody sitting out getting injured. Nobody is in tip-top shape.”
On another note, Embiid has focused on staying healthy this off-season. He mentioned losing 25 to 30 pounds and that he and the team agree on his health goals.