5 – Sixers Would Have Benefited From Embiid in 2OT
Joel Embiid exceeded his 24-minutes restriction by three minutes on Wednesday, and he was visibly frustrated when the medical staff informed him that he was not cleared to play in the second overtime.
See below:
Embiid was heated after being taken out in double-OT due to a minutes restriction https://t.co/SJ2yLhD96v
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 24, 2016
#Sixers Brett Brown on Embiid being unhappy about not able to play in second OT: 'I respect that. It's just the way it is.'
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) November 24, 2016
While it’s unfortunate for both Embiid and the Sixers that he has not been cleared for a full-game’s workload yet, the organization definitely made the right decision by sitting him in the second period of extra time.
Would the team have had a better chance to win with Embiid out there for double-OT? Absolutely.
If you coulda played Embiid in double overtime, would it have made a difference? Brett Brown:"Yes". Said nothing else.
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) November 24, 2016
You have to remember, though: Embiid missed his first two seasons because of a foot injury. Risking re-injury for a random Wednesday-night win in November just doesn’t make sense. The team would rather have him out there for the next five years than an extra five minutes in overtime, and rightfully so.
Think about it: could you imagine if something would have happened to him in that second overtime that cause some sort of (re)injury? In the situation the Sixers were in on Wednesday night, the risk did not out-weigh the reward, but after the game, Brett Brown said it’s still difficult to keep Embiid sidelined during crunch-time situations like the one they faced against Memphis.
Brett Brown: "There it is, on your bench, 10 feet from me. You can’t do it. It’s a bigger world we’re living in. It’s a much longer vision."
— brianseltzer (@brianseltzer) November 24, 2016
While on the bench, Embiid said that he was rooting for his teammates to pull out the victory.
#Sixers Embiid on sitting in second OT pic.twitter.com/ksL6wJBpb0
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) November 24, 2016
Embiid will rest during the Sixers’ next game, which will take place on Friday night at home against the Chicago Bulls.
#Sixers Embiid on sitting Friday pic.twitter.com/8Lsrhw0D4i
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) November 24, 2016
Next: Whiteside Praises Philly Fans' Love for Embiid
Will the Sixers be able to pick up an Embiid-less victory on the day after Thanksgiving? We’ll find out on Friday night.