Should Joel Embiid be competing in the Olympics?
As mentioned last week, there is plenty of optimism around the 76ers, with their early offseason moves, highlighted by the signing of Paul George but none of that will matter if Joel Embiid isn’t healthy during the postseason.
And with that in line, a key beginning of the Sixers season actually starts this summer because Embiid will be playing on the star-studded U.S. Olympic team.
The big question is whether from a Sixers perspective, should he be playing this summer?
We all know about Embiid’s durability issues, especially in the postseason.
The U.S. Olympic team began practicing for the Olympics on Saturday, July 6 in Las Vegas.
There will be five exhibition games—first up against a strong Canada team in Las Vegas and then games at Abu Dabi against Australia and Serbia and London against South Sudan and German. Then the U.S. will open the Paris Olympic with a game against Serbia on July 28.
Seeking a fifth straight Olympic gold medal, the U.S. hopes to be around for the Aug. 10 gold medal game.
For Embiid, that means getting ready earlier for the season, playing longer and hoping he holds up.
Now those who feel Embiid should play on the Olympic team, suggest that it will be a good opportunity for him to be around a winning environment with many of the best players in the world. Of his Olympic teammates, here is how many NBA championships each has won—Stephen Curry (4), LeBron James (4), Kevin Durant (2) former Sixer Jrue Holiday (2), Kawhi Leonard (2), Anthony Davis (1) and Jayson Tatum (1).
That’s seven of the 12-member team, having won at least one NBA title.
The theory goes that being around such accomplished players will do wonders for Embiid and there may be something to that.
Those who argue that he should be there will also point out that on this team, he won’t be playing as many minutes, due to the depth of the U.S team and the rules, where the games are 40 minutes long.
All are good points, but on the other hand, Embiid has been to the playoffs seven times and has only escaped injury in one postseason, in 2020 when the shorthanded Sixers were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics.
Playing on the Olympic team may enable Embiid to be in the best shape of his life, but how much toll will the travel and playing take?
We get that winning a Olympic gold medal is something to be treasured, but his main job is playing for the Sixers and should he risk injury before the season even starts?
Maybe this is being too protective. Those who are in the camp that he should play in the Olympics will suggest that he has to work out anyway in the offseason, so why not against many of the best players in the world?
That’s true, but will ramping it up in July and August take a toll eventually in April and May?
If Embiid didn’t have such a long injury history, then there would be no question that he should compete.
It all may turn out well, but any Sixers fan will be on pins and needles the first time Embiid hits the floor, or catches an inadvertent elbow.
As stated, there are many positives to being on this team, but the one negative is that it is a health risk and from this vantage point, not worth taking.
Photo via Joel Embiid's X/Twitter
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Author: Marc Narducci
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