The Philadelphia 76ers are seen as strong contenders for the 2024-25 NBA Championship, but to meet those expectations, they need to keep key players like Joel Embiid and Paul George healthy. The team is taking significant steps to ensure this, with Embiid having minimal involvement in training camp and skipping the preseason. This isn’t due to an injury but rather a precaution to keep him fit for the playoffs. This strategy has sparked debate. Some believe it’s a smart move, given Embiid’s injury history, and something the Sixers should have done sooner. Others criticize this selective approach to the regular season.
One vocal critic is Kevin Garnett. As cited by Ky Carlin on Sixers Wire, Garnett said on ‘The Ticket and The Truth’: “The league needs to get a handle on this. It’s a mess, and no one is speaking up. Players aren’t practicing, then sitting out back-to-back games? Teams can now plan around this. They’ll look at the schedule and decide which games to prioritize based on who’s playing. The issue is players aren’t in shape, which is leading to more injuries. No one is in top condition.”
While not everyone may agree with Garnett’s stance, his opinion holds weight given his career. Garnett played a full 82-game season four times and 81 games three times, in contrast to Embiid, who has never played more than 68 games in a season. Last season, Embiid played just 39 regular season games and still struggled with injuries in the playoffs. Despite this, the Sixers’ approach is understandable—they need to manage Embiid’s workload to maximize their chances of winning a Championship, knowing they can’t change his injury history.
