When Joel Embiid hinted at his intentions to never again play back-to-back games, it was clear that he made the feedback with an eye fixed in the direction of the postseason.
The 76ers star has been repeatedly marred by accidents in his seven playoff appearances so far, which many have cited as the explanation for the workforce’s incapability to advance previous the second spherical. Final season, he performed in all six video games of the Sixers’ opening-round loss to the Knicks, however was visibly hobbled after present process midseason surgical procedure on his knee.
This 12 months, the Sixers are decided to make sure Embiid enters the playoffs as wholesome as potential. On paper, it isn’t the worst plan. Nonetheless, Warriors star Draymond Inexperienced believes Embiid is treading down the damaging path of ring-chasing whereas sacrificing different honors.
“You must play as many video games as you possibly can play, common as many factors as you possibly can, and chase as many particular person awards as you possibly can chase,” Inexperienced suggested Embiid on “The Draymond Green Show” podcast. “As a result of the speak of successful a championship — chances are you’ll by no means win one. And I am not saying he cannot win one, however what I am saying is chances are you’ll by no means win one, and then you definitely scarcity your self on the factor that we all know for positive you are able to do, which is go get an MVP, prepare dinner all people and depart.”
Inexperienced, a four-time NBA champion, added that Embiid nonetheless does not know ” win a championship” and will by no means determine it out for the remainder of his profession. As such, he feels the 7-footer might be letting quite a lot of awards and accolades on the desk in pursuit of a hoop.
To Inexperienced’s level, Embiid will not qualify for the MVP award, or every other regular-season accolade, if he fails to fulfill the standards of 65 video games. He was the main candidate to repeat as MVP final 12 months earlier than his harm.
Whereas Inexperienced wasn’t precisely crucial of Embiid’s choice, others reminiscent of Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley were much more harsh with their reactions to the Sixers star’s choice to skip back-to-backs.
Embiid, 30, sat out the Sixers’ opening two video games in opposition to the Bucks and Raptors and is predicted to overlook Sunday’s recreation versus the Pacers. The Sixers have but to supply an official timeline for his season debut.
