Philadelphia 76ers Center Joel Embiid Still Not Cleared to Play Back-to-Backs
Joel Embiid doesn't seem to agree with the way the Philadelphia 76ers are playing him to start the season.
The Sixers center was angry when he heard that he was under a minute restrictions, but he has played more than expected in their first two games of the season, so he's probably satisfied with his playing time for now.
However, the team still doesn't want to play him in back-to-back games and he's not happy about being held back.
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"I just want to feel like an NBA player. I feel like I'm not an NBA player because I can't play back-to-back," Embiid said, via NBA.com.
Embiid didn't play in the Sixers 128–94 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. And while he clearly would have wanted to be there for his teammates, the Cameroonian center admitted that he understands why he was held out in back-to-backs.
"There's a plan in place and that's what we're going to follow," he noted.
The Sixers really have to be careful with the way they play Embiid. He has already missed two whole seasons because he had to undergo two surgeries to repair the navicular bone in his right foot, and he also went under the knife earlier this year to repair a tear in the meniscus of his left knee. The team obviously don't want him to get hurt again after they signed him to a five-year contract extension worth $148 million.
Embiid's a very talented player and he has a skill set that very few big men have. However, he just can't go out and play with reckless abandon right now.
"I've got to balance it out because I'm ultra-competitive so I want to get out there, jump in the stands, dive for every loose ball," Embiid said, via Yahoo Sports. "But at the same time, I've to find a balance in between staying healthy and doing all that," he added.
