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76ers Reveal Joel Embiid’s Playing Status vs. New Zealand Breakers

Will Joel Embiid face the New Zealand Breakers?
Justin Grasso|
Oct 20, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid warms up before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid warms up before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ers

After a busy summer, Joel Embiid approached training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers feeling much slimmer and more open to sticking to a load management plan.

When the Sixers went to the Bahamas for five practice sessions, Embiid was a limited participant.

The big man wasn’t injured at all. Instead, the Sixers had the seven-time All-Star participate in drills but sit out when it came time to scrimmage. After a long season of recovery in 2023-2024, and a summer of competing in Paris at the 2024 Olympics, the Sixers wanted to ease Embiid back out on the floor.

On Monday, the Sixers will host the New Zealand Breakers for the first of six preseason matchups. Since Embiid hasn’t been a participant in scrimmages, his playing status for the first preseason outing this month was unknown.

As expected, Embiid will not get the nod to play. According to Nick Nurse, the center is expected to get the night off.

Last season, Embiid appeared in just 39 games. Although he was averaging career-highs in scoring and assisting, the star big man suffered a knee injury before the team even reached the trade deadline.

As a result, Embiid underwent surgery and missed a chunk of time down the stretch. Although he returned in time for the playoffs, Embiid couldn’t help the Sixers get past the New York Knicks in round one. The Atlantic Division rivals settled the series in six games, with the 76ers packing their bags early.

After battling injuries year after year in the postseason, Embiid and the Sixers are willing to attempt a different approach this time around. Starting with the preseason, the Sixers will have to approach Embiid’s playing time with caution, as getting the star big man to the playoffs healthy is the main priority.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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