"They gonna regret" - Former NBA guard sounds alarm for 76ers after injury-prone Joel Embiid's Paris Olympics stintÂ
Joel Embiid has been one of the best players in the NBA, winning the league's Most Valuable Player award in 2022-23. Despite this, the five-time All-NBA big man has never appeared in 70 games in a single season.
Entering his 30s, Embiid's repeated injuries could be a growing concern for the Philadelphia 76ers. After appearing in the Olympics for Team USA, some question Embiid's ability to uphold the NBA's 65-game rule to qualify for awards and All-NBA teams this season, including former NBA guard Rashad McCants.
On Tuesday's episode of "Gil's Arena," McCants discussed his concerns about Embiid's ability to stay healthy in 2024-25 after playing in the Olympics, rather than prioritizing his recovery ahead of the season.
"[The 76ers] are going to regret allowing him to go to the Olympics because it's not going to give him the time he needed to recover. So now, he can rest the first 10 games of the season if he wants to... I think he's going to come in chasing the recovery. Chasing lost time, like he's going to be trying to make it up by taking games off," McCants said.
The NBA added the 65-game rule ahead of last season to ensure load management among the league's best players.
Joel Embiid signs max contract extension with 76ers
On Friday, the Philadelphia 76ers inked Joel Embiid to a three-year $193 million deal. The extension will keep the seven-time All-Star in Philadelphia through the 2028-29 NBA season.
Embiid is set to enter the second season of his four-year, $213 million deal signed in August of 2021. Embiid's cap hit will be $51.4 million in 2024-25, as the 76ers appear to be all in on their new big three.
Philadelphia landed their third star in Paul George, signing him to a four-year, $212 million deal in July. The next day, the 76ers extended Tyrese Maxey to a new contract. Maxey's five-year deal is worth $203 million and keeps Philadelphia's new core together through 2026-27, with a player option for George in 2027-28.
The 76ers (+1400) enter the 2024-25 NBA season with the eighth-best title odds in the league, directly ahead of the Golden State Warriors (+3000). Philadelphia's odds are the fourth-best in the Eastern Conference.