Resolution I – Joel Embiid will start 60 games or more for the season
The key to the Philadelphia 76ers is the durability of Joel Embiid. So far, fans seem to be rather unfounded. Fragility appears to be a mirage, as the night of the game with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Joel Embiid was listed as a “game-time decision”.
Daily Knicks
He played the entire game, including overtime, to amass 39 minutes of playing time. He’s played 23 of the possible 30 games for the team. At that pace, he will play 67 games this season. If he can keep up that pace. You see, he played a triple overtime game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game which saw him play 49 minutes. That game fell on December 15, 2017.
He hasn’t played since.
The hope is that he will play on December 25, 2017 against the New York Knicks. That means he will miss two more games. Still, the goal of 60 games or better appears very doable, even with this blip in the schedule. So why is this so important?
The bottom line is post season. This team is built around the talents of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. If Embiid is not playing, the team simply does not have enough players who can make their own shots. Defenses can track patterns and thwart the team. If the Philadelphia 76ers have any hope of tasting post-season play, it will be on the back of Joel Embiid.