This should be a surprise to no Philadelphia 76ers fan, but again, it seems like your anger is being misconstrued into something it never was. In a recent interview, NBA Skills Coach Drew Hanlen highlighted Sixers fans' frustrations with Joel Embiid's consistent injury issues. The nuance around this statement is not entirely correct. The real frustration truly lies with the front office's inability to provide clarity around the superstar's health, instead opting for radio silence.
On February 18, Hanlen sat down for an insightful interview with The Kevin O'Connor Show to discuss his relationships with both Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. One major takeaway from the conversation was the challenges the 2023 MVP has faced in his journey to rediscover a clean bill of health. Within this dialogue, Hanlen proved that the Philadelphia fan base's concerns are not taken seriously.
When speaking to Yahoo Sports! writer Kevin O'Connor, Hanlen discussed Embiid's rehab and suggested, "I do think that's one thing fans don't understand... the process that he had to go through." He then continued the conversation by saying, "As frustrating as it was for the Sixers fans, it was more frustrating for Joel."
Sixers fans need clarity over Embiid's health
First and foremost, this is not a criticism of Drew Hanlen. Embiid is his client, and that relationship gives him insight no fan or NBA analyst could replicate. Still, the sentiment he expressed is one that frequently echoes across social media -- that fans are increasingly frustrated with Joel Embiid himself. I disagree.
The irritation that Philadelphia supporters vent is towards the front office. This is a city that lives and breathes sport. Each win and loss has the ability to pivot their world onto a different axis. People's hard-earned paycheques are spent on spectating the franchise, whether that be throughout a televised broadcast or at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. They should be allowed the grace of knowing that the cornerstone of their franchise will be fit enough to step onto the court.
Before the 2024-25 season opener, Nick Nurse spoke about Embiid's fitness and told reporters, "There’s been no setback. He’s really active, he lost some weight, he’s out on the court -- we’re just sticking with our plan of ramping him up and making sure he’s in a really good place before we get him playing live.”
When did the 31-year-old make his season debut, I hear you ask? Ten games into the season, on November 12, 2024, against the New York Knicks. Injuries can develop and manifest into something different from what we first envisage. However, with no inside knowledge whatsoever, it would seem that this was a clever choice of words from the head coach to avoid committing to an actual return date for the star.
By the end of the 2024-25 season, Embiid would only make 19 appearances for the 76ers. It would take until February 28, 2025, for the dominant center to finally be shut down for the season. Until then, a similar narrative would be spun, and his availability for games would be evaluated on a game-to-game basis.
Naturally, the Philadelphia 76ers fans will resemble disappointed figures when a player with the elite talent levels of Joel Embiid is aggravating injuries consistently. Yet, the true frustration lies within the smokescreen that the front office creates around a situation that deserves more clarity. Drew Hanlen may have believed that the supporters' anger was directed at Embiid, but I would argue it was directed at the constant breakdown in communication.