Five menu items from Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid
By Bret Stuter
Entree I: Better than 60 games and 27 minutes per game average
The first step to unleashing the full impact of Joel Embiid is to get his appearances and playing time up. Way up. But it doesn’t need to happen right out of the gates, nor it bunches. The team can plan to build Joel Embiid’s impact up to the play-offs. That means rotations, and the Philadelphia 76ers have the versatility to pull that off better than any team.
Last season, the team didn’t know what the team had in either of the two red-shirted rookies: Embiid or Dario Saric. Now, the team has a pretty solid understanding that each player can be significant contributors to the success of the club.
Advantage for scheduling
Knowing that give the Sixers a distinct advantage. Joel Embiid needn’t play 82 games to propel into the playoffs. But he must double last season’s appearances at a minimum.
But the team can pre-plan rotations early enough in the year to keep Embiid fresh. Back to backs should be the first scheduling item to investigate sitting Embiid, or sharply reducing his minutes. But long road trips would qualify as well. The ultimate goal is to have Joel Embiid at his peak performance when playoff games begin. The Philadelphia 76ers have plenty of solid talent capable of holding down the fort on his nights off.