The Philadelphia 76ers will be entering yet another era next season with the addition of Paul George, a move forecasted by most to be a tremendous ceiling-raiser for the franchise in its quest to bring a championship to the city for the first time since 1983.
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But despite welcoming a new All-Star in town, the 76ers will go where Joel Embiid takes them. Still at the peak of his powers and undoubtedly the head poncho in Philly, the 2023 Most Valuable Player will be the ultimate pot stirrer for the club next season,.
The coaching staff, however, could very well tread a glass bridge moving forward. While maximizing Embiid will be key, equally important will be devising a way to streamline his workload. He’s approaching 31, and his injury history makes a conservative approach a near imperative.
Fortunately, it seems like Embiid himself has started to take matters into his own hands.
Joel Embiid makes big revelation that could change everything for the 76ers
Just recently, Embiid revealed a big change in his body upon the conclusion of the previous campaign, baring that he lost 25-30 pounds ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Basically every single year of my career, I've been hurt in the playoffs. [Staying healthy] is the goal. Whatever it takes to get there... physically, I'm not where I want to be. ... Whatever it takes to get to that stage and be healthy, because I believe, with the guys that we have and what I can bring to the table, we have a pretty good chance.
Embiid’s substantial weight loss, of course, would pay dividends oin his ability to stay on the court, especially given that he isn’t getting any younger. Previous post players like Tim Duncan also started losing weight near the end bracket of their prime, which ultimately contributed to their longevity.
Availability is the best skill, especially in today’s competitive milieu where parity is at an all-time high. The race in the Eastern Conference is as tight as it can be, and the 76ers will need every advantage they can get in order to maximize their chances of reaching the NBA Finals and hopefully, acing the same.
Preserving his body, of course, does not end there. Philadelphia has to do its part and lay the groundwork for him to be as fresh as possible for the games that matter the most. Part and parcel to realize that goal is to lessen the burden on him both minutes-wise and workload-wise.
