Just before the season opener, the 76ers had to deal with star injuries. Yes, in ESPN’s injury report, Joel Embiid and Paul George are deemed ‘out’ because of their knee injuries. But wait because what’s worse is that Embiid will have to miss the entire opening week’s games! As the team navigates these injuries, the NBA has suddenly begun an investigation into Daryl Morey and Co.’s player participation policy- adherence, adding much further scrutiny to the already troublesome situation.

Embiid missed the preseason because of a knee injury that was caused in January in a game against the Warriors. Last season, the hooper only played 39 games, but what raises the question is- how did he play in the Olympics?

The Sixers talisman represented Team USA in the Olympics in August and played in five games, despite dicey fitness. So, if the hooper was back on the court within 7 months of being injured, then how’s he out all of a sudden, again?

The league’s investigation often reviews a franchise when star players miss nationally televised games which are bound to bring in good viewership. However, the head coach, Nick Nurse, now faces mounting scrutiny amid this ongoing injury situation.

In light of this situation, he has an update to give. The Sixers boss, via Sam DiGiovanni, says both the hoopers took part in the practice and are still making progress, clarifying the hoopers did “some live stuff” but no scrimmaging.

But this isn’t the first time they have given a positive update on Joel Embiid’s injury. Earlier this month they had also said, their talisman was “responding well” in his rehab, but uncertainties remain.

This does highlight that both players are actively involved in practice but at a controlled level. Nick Nurse’s optimism suggests that their return is on the horizon, which could boost the team’s performance moving forward. However, if the 76ers are proven wrong in the investigation, it could lead to further scrutiny and potential penalties for them, complicating their ‘title’ season even more.

What will happen if Joel Embiid and the 76ers are found guilty?

“Left knee injury management.” This is how the hooper is listed as ‘out’ in the injury report. Now as the league has launched an investigation into Embiid‘s participation, particularly regarding his absence from the preseason and the season opener against the Bucks, we need to understand what is the investigation and what happens if anything goes wrong.

The NBA Board of Governors last season approved stricter resting policies aimed at increasing player participation. These rules specifically address star players who miss games, especially during nationally televised events or in-season tournaments.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized that it’s crucial to maintain the integrity of the 82-game season. “I think we’ll state this principle, see how teams react, and see if more needs to be done. But I think, most importantly, there’s a sense from all the different constituent groups in the league that this is ultimately about the fans and that we’ve taken this too far.”

The NBA defines a star player as one who has made the All-Star or All-NBA teams in any of the past three seasons, impacting 25 teams and 50 players across the league.

Under this player participation policy, teams must adhere to these 5 critical rules:

Roster Management: Teams must ensure that no more than ONE star player is unavailable for the same game. For example, the Lakers cannot rest both LeBron and AD unless both are injured. Same with the Celtics, either of the Jays have to be playing, period.

Availability for Key Games: Teams must ensure that star players are available for nationally televised and in-season tournament games.

Long-Term Shutdowns: Teams must refrain from long-term shutdowns or situations where a star player stops participating or plays in a materially reduced role, affecting game integrity. For example, the Wizards and Trail Blazers would’ve faced scrutiny a few years ago for shutting down Bradley Beal (10 games) and Damian Lillard (11 games), respectively.

Balancing Absences: Teams must maintain a balance between one-game absentees for star players in home and road games, preferring that absences occur during home games. For example, if Joel Embiid is going to sit out, the team should aim to have him miss a home game instead of an away one.

Visibility of Resting Players: Healthy players resting for a game must be ‘present and visible to fans.’

What are the consequences if any player is found to be resting unnecessarily? Teams will face fines upwards of $1 million for violating these rules, with first offenses incurring a $100,000 penalty, rising to $250,000 for second offenses, and increasing by $1 million for subsequent violations. So if Joel Embiid is found to be okay, the 76ers will have to severe the consequences.

But there are exceptions too. For any player who is more than 35 years old or has a significant career workload like 34,000 regular-season minutes or 1,000 regular-season and playoff games combined, the NBA allows preapproved back-to-back allowances.

Any failure to comply with these rules could lead to serious repercussions for the 76ers, potentially affecting their standings and relationships with fans and sponsors. How will they navigate these new regulations if it turns out Embiid’s absence was unjustified?