Coach Nick Nurse left speechless over Joel Embiid skipping 76ers' back-to-backs after thriving for Team USA at Olympics
Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid will reportedly miss the start of the 2024-25 NBA season and sit out back-to-backs due to left knee injury management. Philly coach Nick Nurse was asked how the 2023 MVP is sidelined despite reportedly experiencing "no setbacks." However, Nurse seemingly struggled to answer.
Embiid played a key role for Team USA at this summer's Paris Olympics, suiting up in five of six games. He placed sixth on the star-studded squad in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game, shooting 56.8% and 54.5% from 3-point range.
Upon securing his first Olympic gold medal, many expected Embiid to be fully ramped up for this NBA season. Instead, he sat out all six of the Sixers' preseason outings. Meanwhile, reports emerged that he will "not play both halves of back-to-back sets and wear a knee brace" throughout the campaign.
Moreover, on Tuesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Embiid will miss Philly's Wednesday regular-season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks and the rest of the week.
Amid Joel Embiid's injury concerns, Nurse told reporters Tuesday that the seven-time All-Star hasn't faced any complications during his ramp-up process.
"There's been no setbacks," Nurse said. "He's really active. He's lost some weight. He's out on the court. Just kind of sticking with our plan of making sure we're getting into a really, really good place before we play him live."
However, when asked how Embiid is sidelined despite not facing setbacks, Nurse appeared to experience difficulty rationalizing his status.
"I don’t know what to say to you," Nurse said.
Nurse added that Embiid is "not quite ready yet" and will "be ready pretty soon." Nevertheless, Sixers supporters appear to be growing anxious as their squad commences the season without its top player.
Joel Embiid on track to again play below 70 games during 2024-25 NBA regular season
Philly reportedly has 15 back-to-backs this season. So, with the news that Joel Embiid will sit out half of each back-to-back set, he is already projected to have another sub-70 game season.
Last season, the big man suited up in only 39 contests largely due to left knee surgery. Moreover, he's never played more than 68 outings in a campaign.
Embiid was adamant throughout training camp and the preseason that he is focused on staying healthy for the playoffs and winning his first NBA championship. However, it remains to be seen if the Sixers' cautious approach to monitoring his health will pay off.
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