Philadelphia 76ers: Brett Brown will limit stars’ minutes in scrimmages

The Philadelphia 76ers’ coach plans to work his guys into game shape slowly.

Before the regular season resumes on August 1, the Philadelphia 76ers will play three scrimmages from July 24 to July 28. The games will not count, but could serve as a launching pad for a successful return to play. The Sixers will need to manage health and momentum wisely.

When speaking to reporters on Saturday, Brown said he plans to take things slowly in the scrimmages — especially with regard to the team’s star players. He plans to be “frugal” with minutes for the likes of Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris, but will resort to regular workloads once the season begins.

This comes as no surprise. Even with Simmons dubbed “100 percent” and Embiid potentially in the best shape of his career, there’s no reason to overwork players in a scrimmage. It’s important for everyone to reach game shape eventually — no one has played competitive basketball in three months — but these scrimmages will probably run at half-speed.

It’s especially important for Simmons and Embiid to take things slowly. Embiid has a notoriously sluggish history in the postseason. For Simmons, this season introduced his first mildly significant injuries since the foot injury in year one. To paraphrase Brown, the goal is to deliver both of them safely to the playoffs.

The Sixers have the talent to compete for a championship. It’s a long shot — Brown has a lot of wrinkles to iron out — but on paper, Philadelphia has as good a chance as any team. If things break right, the next few months could bring about great excitement. The main factor, of course, is health.

Philadelphia has dealt with injuries all season. Embiid, Simmons, and Josh Richardson have all missed extended time. Health will determine the Sixers’ ability to compete, even more than chemistry. The Sixers can compete with imperfect chemistry. They can’t compete with imperfect health.

There’s still no definitive word on whether or not the scrimmages will air on TV — either locally or nationally. If they do end up on the silver screen, expect small, controlled doses of the Sixers’ stars. The regular season is where it counts.