The Philadelphia 76ers are expecting great things from their squad this season, but of course, that is nothing novel. With a lineup that talented, not going full throttle when it comes to dishing out those expectations would be luaghably disingenuous. That being said, this team has had a pattern of managing to find new ways to disappoint every single fans on a yearly basis, so who knows what they got this time.
Not to be manic, but people are seemingly forgetting one thing — that the success of this team hinges on a wildly erratic factor called the “injury bug”. Still infatuated with the colorway of the franchise, the 76ers somehow managed to outdo themselves last season when their otherwise talented roster ended the year in collective crutches.
Joel Embiid, among others, is the biggest question mark for this team. Prognostications about the superstar’s healthy have become much more optimistic this time around, but it is hard not to think about that being a result of some placebo-induced thinking. Embiid, after all, appeared in just 19 games since the Summer Olympics, and his training camp snapshots have definitely imbued a lot of interest in his new slimmed down look.
Yet the most prudent thing to say is to hold your horses. This is still Embiid we are talking about, and existing precedence on his situation leaves a lot to be desired.
76ers fans have to temper their expectations with Joel Embiid this season
As Brian Windhorst and his crew mentioned here, while Embiid’s outlook as regards his availability has improved, he is not yet out of the red when it comes to his injury situation. Overall, there are still some major risks attendant with the 76ers continuing to rely on him heavily.
Embiid’s knee, for example, has become prone to swelling almost on an aleatory basis. It has been similar to a Russian roulette when it comes to his playing status from game to game. There could be instances — multiple instances — where his knee could betray him and he ends up missing some stretches within a single season.
That makes it all the more important for the coaching staff to view Embiid with utter caution. That does not mean sit him out as much as possible, but to temper his role and perhaps streamline it on both ends even when he is “healthy”.
The 76ers are shooting for the stars this season, and they will need Joel Embiid to be at his best when the games truly matter. Hopefully, he finally breaks through on that end this time around.