“Get Him Right”: Vince Carter Discusses Joel Embiid’s “Depressing” Injury, Says 76ers Should Focus on Full Recovery

Amidst the Philadelphia 76ers’ struggles, a majority of the blame has fallen on Joel Embiid and his injury issues. Many believe that the center sitting out games for the past few seasons has always put the franchise in a precarious position. However, Vince Carter declared during an appearance on the Run It Back show that the Sixers’ strategy shouldn’t be to worry about public opinion.

He stated that the 76ers should instead focus on Embiid’s full recovery by shutting him down for as long as needed before thinking of putting him back on the floor. Even if the team goes through a rough patch, rushing the former MVP on his road to recovery isn’t a smart idea.

He said, “Let’s go ahead and we’ll deal with the backlash and the media, all of that stuff now. Just take this month to get him right and then insert him into the season. In my opinion, that’s the way to go instead of in and out, in and out.”

Carter believes that the brief moments when Embiid feels better shouldn’t be seen as indicators to rush him back on the court. The NBA legend believes this will be beneficial for both the player and the franchise in the long run.

As of now, in Embiid’s words, the season has been “depressing.” The 30-year-old has faced the brunt of the media in recent months.

Embiid did return to the floor for the Sixers last game against the Chicago Bulls. He played for 33 minutes and had 31 points and 12 rebounds. If he is given enough time to recover, performances like that might become a regular thing for the franchise. While Carter is in favor of Embiid being allotted more time, Danny Green has a different take on it.

Danny Green isn’t in favor of giving more time to Joel Embiid

On the same episode, Green spoke from the perspective of team integration and Embiid’s presence as a leader. He believes that with the season going on in full swing, he can’t be allowed any more time to recover. Green’s solution to keeping Embiid healthy is letting him play limited minutes.

He said, “I think, keep the minute restriction…to 25 and the team has to get used to playing with him at some point, a lot of these new guys have not.” Green added that the Sixers can find time somewhere around the All-Star break to rest Embiid, but until then, not having him in the rotation is dangerous.

He concluded, “If you shut him down right now, you’re gonna be dead last. You don’t want to be behind (the Wizards) or the Hornets.” Although he had a different take on the issue, Carter agreed with Green’s assessment of the situation and his solution.