The Philadelphia 76ers have been reserved about the health of their two trademark stars – Joel Embiid and Paul George. Nick Nurse refused to answer any questions. As a result, the league got their hands dirty to find the truth behind the walls. They deemed the ailments of the former MVP severe enough to miss games. And it’s now been four games in a row, reaching a point that it’s costing the 76ers.

A recent loss against the Detroit Pistons made it three in four games of Nick Nurse and his side. In his press conference, the revered coach didn’t mince any emotions. “We need some other guys. We need some production from Eric (Gordon) and Kyle (Lowry) and Drum. Everybody’s got to chip in right now,” he said. Outside of Tyrese Maxey, who scored 32 in the loss, no other Sixer managed to score even 15.

It highlighted the need for involvement. But it also underscores how desperately the team needs their enforcer in Joel Embiid. He can single-handedly change the shape and look of the team with the immense coverage defenses. Luckily for the Sixers, the big man is getting closer to being back on the court.

ESPN’s Shams Charania gave some breakaway into his return. “Embiid is essentially in the ramp-up stages of his return process. He has completed from what I’m told multiple five-on-five scrimmages in the recent days,” the insider revealed. Still though, given Embiid has dealt with knee injuries for a prolonged time frame, the Sixers aren’t willing to rush the process of his debut.

“The Sixers want to make sure from a conditioning perspective his knee, his body is 100% before he makes it back out on the floor for his debut. He has a workout scheduled today and on Friday to evaluate whether he is going to be able to make a return as soon as this weekend,” Charania revealed.

With all the information in mind, it seems Joel Embiid could return on Sunday when Philly plays against the Memphis Grizzlies. However, as far as his playing in the regular season, the medical team has a new strategy.

The new look of Joel Embiid

Since winning the MVP, there has been one thought on Embiid’s mind. The Process wants to win a championship. Even with his mind-boggling numbers, the inability to stay healthy in November has evaded him of a seismic postseason run. This year, the bottom line is to have him fresh and unharmed when that time comes.

Joel Embiid has already expanded on one of those tactics. “If I had to guess, I would probably never play in back-to-backs the rest of my career,” said the 30-year-old brawling center. Furthermore, with knee problems being persistent, he has reportedly lost a substantial amount of mass to provide relief and lessen the pressure his knee has usually been subjected to.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Charania revealed how even after he does make his season debut, the Sixers will closely monitor his health. Even a slight irregularity and the dominant big could opt for rest.

“That’s going to include periodic time off at different points during the season, it’s going to include routine checkups on his knee over the course of the season and it is all part of the Sixers and Joel Embiid’s new strategy this season on how to keep him healthy when he has never been,” he expanded.

The vision is getting clearer with time. Joel Embiid wishes to be monstrous during the most crucial time of the season. But just how much rest can he afford? With George still untested within the Sixers’ system, no sample suggests he and Maxey can keep their heads above water.

Through the last few seasons, when Embiid has elicited MVP chants, the Sixers’ heavy reliance on him has been a concerning factor. Last season, he accounted for 41% of the team points in his 39 games. Furthermore, his usage rate was among the highest in the league. With this in mind, consistent participation from Paul George becomes a necessity to ensure Joel Embiid can adapt to his new strategy.

Do you think it will work? Let us know your honest thoughts in the comments below.