Getty Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after getting ejected for fighting Karl-Anthony Towns.
Joel Embiid is expected to play in back-to-back games for the first time this season. That is newsworthy in today’s NBA.
As the growing phenomenon known as “load management” continues to infiltrate basketball courts across the country, the Sixers center wanted to express his NSFW opnion on the policy. It stinks. He hates it.
“I want to play every game. Load management, that’s some BS. I want to play every game,” Embiid told reporters Friday night after the Sixers’ 115-104 win over San Antonio. “I want to be on the court, building the chemistry with my teammates.”
Interesting commentary since Embiid has been one of the poster boys for load management. The team rarely lets their fragile big man play in consecutive contests. But he’ll play tonight when the Sixers host the Miami Heat in Philly.
Embiid has played in 169 out of a possible 328 games since entering the league in 2016. Some of that has been due to various injuries, but load management has also played a major factor. He’s played in 11 of the Sixers’ 15 games this season.
“This whole thing is very, very scrutinized, discussed, studied with a handful of people,” Sixers coach Brett Brown told reporters earlier this week, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I’m looking forward to getting as much of Joel Embiid as I can.”
Joel Embiid, asked whether his limited minutes due to foul trouble might help keep him fresh for tomorrow night’s game against the Heat: “Load management. That’s some BS…I’m tired of sitting. I just want to play.”
Embiid Previously Sounded Off about Load Management
Joel Embiid has been on a strict minutes restriction dating back to 2017. The Sixers center has never been happy about it, yet he has learned to begrudgingly deal with it. Still, that hasn’t stopped the outspoken big man from voicing his displeasure about it.
Embiid on restrictions-“That’s f—ing BS.I wish I was playing more min.I think I’m ready for more than I don’t know whatever no. they have”
Embiid is averaging 29.3 minutes per game this season, his lowest rate since his rookie year when he posted 25.4 minutes per game. He signed a five-year, $146.5 million contract extension to basically be the face of the Sixers’ franchise in 2017. So, yes, he wants to play and prove his worth to the championship-starved Philly fans.
“Hopefully, we get [Josh Richardson] back and we get to play with each other, keep learning — that’s how we’re going to win,” Embiid told reporters Friday, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Especially when it comes to playoff time, so I want to play every game. I’m tired of sitting. I just want to play.”
Load Management Sweeping Over Professional Basketball
Load management has been the most highly-debated topic in professional basketball this year. Earlier this month, the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard drew national scorn when he sat out a nationally-televised game against Milwaukee.
According to Heavy.com’s Scoop B. Robinson, Los Angeles was fined $50,000 for comments made by head coach Doc Rivers about Leonard’s status that “were inconsistent with Leonard’s health status.”
The criticism is nothing new for Leonard. He has been playing on a strict minutes restriction dating back to his time in San Antonio and Toronto. Two years ago, the NBA Finals MVP played in only nine games as he cautiously rehabbed from a right quad injury for the Spurs.
Spurs’ Gregg Popovich does load management for ten years and wins multiple championships…
NOBODY SAYS much!
Clippers’ Doc Rivers does load management with Kawhi Leonard….
THEY HATE!
Leonard averaged just 34 minutes per game last year in 60 regular-season games before leading the Raptors to the NBA championship. He averaged 39.1 minutes per game in the playoffs.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I’m not a guy that reads the media, anyway,” Leonard said, via USA Today. “We’re going to manage it the best way we can to keep me healthy. That’s the most important thing moving forward.”