Joel Embiid hinted before the season that he will lay off some load in the regular season to focus on the postseason. However, the Philadelphia 76ers have had such a terrible start to their season that their postseason hopes are diminishing. With a 2-11 record and a four-game losing streak, they are sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference at the moment.
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To make matters worse, Embiid seems to be injured and out of form. The 30-year-old is also being cautious about the number of games he plays in the regular season, avoiding back-to-back games to keep his health in check.
However, Dwight Howards believes that that’s the wrong approach for the 2023 MVP. During his conversation with Kevin Garnett on KG Certified, Howard laid out a better plan for Embiid.
He said that the 76ers star should play fewer minutes each game so he can make an impact on each outing while successfully keeping himself healthy for the playoffs. Howard said, “I think Embiid should take less minutes for regular season so he can stay healthy and ramp it up, getting up to, later on in the [playoffs].”
Although he has played only three games this season, Embiid is averaging 30 minutes per game. Howard said, “I feel like he’s trying to chase something. MVP or the best player in the league…for what? He’s too big. He can get all that in less minutes and still he can be more effective in less minutes, playing harder and more aggressive.”
Playing longer minutes isn’t helping Embiid either. In three games, he has averaged 14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting just 32.4% from the field and 15.4% from the three-point line. In this moment of crisis, he might want to take a look at Howard’s suggestion.
Joel Embiid’s plan on staying healthy for the playoffs
Embiid is only 30, but he is making plans as if he’s on the last stretch of his career. While it’s understandable that he has had a career marred with injuries, tapping out from challenges has not sat well with the fans. A month ago, he said, “If I had to guess, I would probably never play in back-to-backs the rest of my career.”
Last week, he made a u-turn on his comment and claimed that he is a troll. He told ESPN, “I know I said I will never play back-to-backs, but I’m a troll.” Whether it was a troll comment or he has had a rude awakening, only Embiid knows. But if the plan is to stay healthy for the playoffs, Embiid needs to ensure that his team makes it to the postseason.
Going by their current performance, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll see themselves in the playoffs unless they turn things around drastically. Load management cannot be in the equation if the franchise is struggling to win games so early in the season.
