Joel Embiid’s load management plan, the Sixers’ next top priority, and more highlights from our Reddit AMA
Plus, we answer questions on the Sixers’ inability to be “normal” and more.
Ahead of the start of the 76ers season, which tips off Wednesday night, Gina Mizell took to Reddit to answer fans’ questions on all things Sixers. Here are some of the highlights from her Reddit AMA — “Ask Me Anything” — on Tuesday …
Some questions and answers have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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Q. Realistically, how many games should we expect Joel Embiid to play in this year?
A. I definitely don’t anticipate him playing in the 65 games required to be eligible for MVP or other end-of-season awards. If we start with his comments to ESPN that he will never play a full back-to-back again, that is 13 games right off the bat. And then he has already been ruled out of 2-3 games this week. But if he does not have any other significant injuries or setbacks with the knee, perhaps somewhere in the 55-60 range? But that is honestly just a guess. Another data point: When Kawhi Leonard load-managed with the Raptors under Nick Nurse, he played in 60 regular-season games before the championship playoff run.
Q. How seriously are the Sixers pursuing a traditional power forward? Does Daryl Morey or Nick Nurse see it as a top priority? Who could they go after?
A. Positionally, that is still this roster’s primary void. I’m interested to see Guerschon Yabusele there more, since he played so much as a backup center during the preseason. But, barring injuries that could reset priorities, that spot would appear to be the most obvious trade-deadline target as Morey continues to shape the roster. These two names come with no reporting, just my own personal judgment based on their position and where they currently play, but the Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson seem reasonable to bring up.
Q. Why did Joel Embiid play in the Olympics this summer if he wasn’t going to be ready for the start of the season?
A. Another completely valid question, and a topic that came up at practice today. Dei Lynam asked Nick Nurse if there was any regret about Embiid playing in the Olympics, and the coach said no. “I’m happy that he did,” Nurse said. “I think it was great for him, personally [and] professionally. I think he obviously was a huge part of their gold medal. I don’t have any hindsight regrets, even though they’re 20/20.”
Important to note here that Nurse is the former Canadian national team coach and has tons of international basketball experience, so he probably puts particular value on that for Embiid. But Morey also said at his end-of-season news conference in May that he would not stand in the way of Embiid accomplishing such a meaningful personal goal.
» READ MORE: Joel Embiid and Paul George will miss the Sixers’ season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks
Q. What’s it like watching the team grow and change throughout a season? I bet you see way more than an average fan, so what are some of your favorite things to see with the players and coaching staff during the season?
A. I love this question, because it’s my favorite part of the job. I get to just be around day to day, and try to lift the curtain on how the team operates and share who these people are who are trying to make it all happen. One of my favorite stretches of a game day is when I first get to the arena, when players have begun their pregame routines with the player-development staff. It can look a little bit like organized chaos, with multiple players and staffers on the floor at the same time. But each player’s routine is so detailed from where they rep shots, to ballhandling drills they’ll do on the side, to how they practice cutting and rolling hard. So you see actual skills develop, but also observe the dynamics between players and staffers.
Q. Why can’t this team just be normal?
A. The greatest question of our time. Whenever anybody asks me about my job and covering this team, my response is always “never a dull moment.” And I’ve only been here since 2021! Though this injury stuff is not as dramatic as the Ben Simmons and James Harden preseason sagas, it’s still something.
For more of Gina’s thoughts on the Sixers, Embiid’s load management plan and her respect for Shams Charania, head over to Reddit to read her full AMA.
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