Joel Embiid not playing in preseason: Should fans be worried?

The Sixers are taking good care of Joel Embiid, who has suffered from injury issues since his time at the University of Kansas. They made notable changes to their lineup before the season, Paul George came from Los Angeles to form a strong trio with Maxey and Embiid.

The team underwent a major overhaul and brought in new players Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Martin, Guerschon YabuseleAnd Drummond. However, the team’s top priority is Embiid’s health. The franchise has announced a new strategy to give him complete rest in the preseason so he can start the regular season with fewer health concerns. There is some uncertainty over his participation in the first game of the 2024/25 season, but the focus is on securing his long-term well-being.

Embiid does not play in the preseason

Embiid did not play in any of the Sixers’ three preseason games. In fact, the last two were back-to-back and he wasn’t even available to the head coach. He will not be available for the three remaining games against Atlanta, Brooklyn and Orlando. Doctors advised him to continue to avoid forcing himself into competitive games, and the time that passed without physical contact would be beneficial for the knee.

The 76ers only managed to defeat the Breakers from the Oceanic NBL, a team from New Zealand. Young players like Ousmane Dieng and Rayan Rupert have shown their potential, but veterans like Derrick Alston and Kirk Penney have also made an impact. Yabusele, a former Real Madrid player, stood out for his shooting performance. After their 139-84 loss to the Celtics at Boston Garden, they suffered another loss to the Timberwolves, making their total two losses.

Is he being overprotected by the Sixers and should fans be worried?

Embiid is currently following doctor’s advice to take a break to prevent his condition from worsening. He is keeping a low profile as he continues to recover from surgery on the lateral meniscus of his left knee last season. His hasty return to the pitch has led to struggles, avoiding overexertionlike what happened this week will help him recover.

Since his minor surgery in February, he has been extremely cautious due to the operation combined with Bell’s palsy, the condition he suffers from. Furthermore, he has had a challenging history since being selected by the Sixers a decade ago; He missed the first year due to a stress fracture and a broken navicular bone in his right foot. Now, at 30, he has to make painstaking efforts almost every day.

Last summer in Paris, he made his debut in the national team tournaments organized by FIBA ​​​​in his own unique way: he changed his nationality a few months before the event to secure a gold medal despite challenges in the semi-finals of the tournament. RHe put in significant physical exertion while representing the United States in the Olympics over the summer break and played 39 games in the regular season last year, below the standard expected of a player of his caliber.

None of these facts sound encouraging and the media’s pessimism towards Joel is sure to continue this season.