Take a look at the three teams still alive in the NBA playoffs, and you’ll find that each one’s front office made smart use of its resources. The OKC Thunder, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks all have guys that are outperforming their contracts beyond rookie deals. Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso are two great examples on OKC. Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner more than qualify for Indiana. Then there’s Jalen Brunson, who took a major discount on his last deal, and Deuce McBride for the Knicks.
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These three teams are a shining example of how to build a quality roster, but there are many other teams around the league that can’t say the same thing. The Philadelphia 76ers, who are currently struggling with the contracts of former MVP Joel Embiid and former all-star Paul George, are dealing with their mistakes.
When healthy, Embiid is one of the most dominating forces in the NBA. Unfortunately, the Cameroonian big man is rarely upright. He played just 19 games this past season as he dealt with multiple injuries and has missed nearly as many games as he’s played in since being drafted in 2014, .
The Sixers are on the hook for three years and about $192 million in salary due to the extension that Embiid signed in September, but at this point, they have no idea if he’ll ever be healthy enough to fulfill his end of the deal.
Danny Green was teammates with Embiid for about two seasons, and during an appearance this week on All the Smoke, he shed some light on a few of the reasons behind Embiid being injured so often, while also voicing concern for another uber-talented 7-footer.
“His weight fluctuates sometimes. I think when that happens with people when you’re that size … that’s one thing I fear for Wemby. Seven-footers ain’t supposed to last that long. If we get 10 years out of them, that’s a great career.”
Budding Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama is only 21 years old, but he’s even taller than Embiid, so Green is right to be concerned about his health. While he hasn’t dealt with the lower body injuries that Embiid has, he was shut down early in the season with a blood clot in his right shoulder, a scary issue in its own right.
Embiid and Wemby are two of the most skilled players in the league. Both players are centers, though unlike the post-up brutes of yesteryear, they’re asked to do so much more, including facing up and driving to the hoop, shooting from outside, and getting out in transition. This all puts extra wear on the body.
Green believes there are ways for guys like Embiid and Wemby to minimize risk, but they have to be willing to put in the work in the weight room. Embiid has fought allegations of being lazy throughout his career, and Green added fuel to that fire.
“He’s not a big lifter, ’cause he’s already strong, so he feels like he don’t have to lift that much. I feel like if he lifted weights a lot, he’d be ridiculous, like security strong.” It’s also worth noting that many players don’t want to bulk up too much because of the detailed and specific movements that would be hindered from too much muscle density.
Embiid’s fluctuating weight and lack of gym time has the Sixers in a precarious position as they attempt to plan for the future. On the one hand, they have him and Paul George, who at 35 is making far too much money for the player he has become. On the other, they have great young pieces like Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and the third pick in the draft.
The Spurs are ramping up to becoming a contender, as they traded for De’Aaron Fox in February and have the second pick, which will likely be used on Rutgers phenom Dylan Harper. Stephon Castle just won Rookie of the Year, and they’ve been mentioned as a top destination if Giannis Antetokounmpo gets traded this summer.
The effectiveness of any move the Spurs make will ultimately be at the mercy of Wemby and his health. Hopefully for Spurs fans and lovers of good basketball, he can avoid the demons that have derailed Embiid and can manage to stay healthy. If he does so, the Spurs could be right up there with the likes of the Thunder, Pacers and Knicks.
