The Philadelphia 76ers Unveil Strategy to Prevent Injuries for Joel Embiid and Paul George

The Philadelphia 76ers are viewed as strong Championship contenders for the 2024-25 season after bolstering their roster with additions like Paul George, Andre Drummond, Caleb Martin, and Guerschon Yabusele during the offseason. They also secured long-term extensions for Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. While the Sixers appear to have a Championship-caliber team, their title aspirations will heavily depend on the health of Embiid and George.

Embiid and George are two crucial players for the 76ers moving forward, but both have a history of injuries. This is already impacting their preparation, as Embiid had a light training camp and will skip the preseason. Throughout his Hall of Fame-caliber career, the 30-year-old has rarely been fully healthy during the playoffs, often suffering some form of injury.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 23: Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers guards Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center on December 23, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Similarly, George hyperextended his knee in the Sixers’ preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. Thankfully, it turned out to be just a bone bruise and not a serious injury, but the 34-year-old will still need some time to recover before returning to the court.

It’s clear the 76ers are planning to carefully manage the playing time of both Embiid and George. As reported by Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Daryl Morey stated, “We’re going to be smart about it. Part of being smart is having both Paul and Joel likely not play many back-to-backs, if any.” Embiid echoed this sentiment, saying, “If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs for the rest of my career.”

Head coach Nick Nurse is no stranger to this approach, having successfully managed Kawhi Leonard’s minutes during his time with the Toronto Raptors. This strategy helped keep Leonard healthy for the playoffs, where he played 24 games and led the Raptors to a Championship.