The Philadelphia 76ers enter a pivotal season. They have an elite caliber of players led by Joel Embiid, a perennial MVP candidate. Last season, the historic trajectory came to an end due to a knee injury that sidelined him for months. The after-effects of the injury crept into the postseason, a common trend that has haunted Embiid for his career. With every personal accolade he has ever wanted in his possession, the 30-year-old only has one goal for the following season. He and the 76ers want a championship.

As much as team cohesion matters, the chief factor lies in Embiid’s health. The dominant center can be as imposing in the regular season, but if he isn’t available during the playoffs, Philly stands no chance. To ensure not just him, but also Paul George remains in the best physical condition for the postseason, the organization is willing to use a strategy Nick Nurse did with Kawhi Leonard in 2019.

“If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career,” Embiid told ESPN. Morey co-signed on the move, claiming the franchise want to be “smart” in managing George and Embiid throughout the season. In Leonard’s case, Toronto had him available and fully fit for all of their 24 playoff games that season. As the prolific force, he led them to a championship that year.

Even though Joel Embiid relished competition, his desperation for a championship has reached its boiling point. Last season, he fought through a knee injury and even Bell’s Palsy to play against the New York Knicks. In the times before, he suffered fractures and other nagging ailments that deterred his colossal influence on the game. That made him send his All-Star teammate Tyrese Maxey a text as soon as they lost to the Knicks. “We got to do whatever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I’m healthy,” he said.

The seven-time All-Star is willing to do the things he hates to ensure he dodges any bullets. Notably, Embiid will continue to wear a knee brace on his knee to avoid repeating history. And in the offseason, the 76ers made several decisions to ensure their new strategy of relaxing Embiid’s workload won’t have a detrimental effect on their performance.

How Joel Embiid and the 76ers have found an anecdote to their problems

One thing that can’t be questioned is the accountability of Joel Embiid. In the past few seasons, his reason for fighting pain and playing was because he understood just how drastic of an impact he has. Even when battered, against the Knicks, the Sixers were 46 points better with the daunting center on the floor. In the 45 minutes he didn’t play, the Knicks became 47 points superior.

The major problem was the lack of a scoring center, someone the 76ers could feed to break through the interior wall. To make sure the problem doesn’t occur, Embiid gave precedence to recruitment. His first move was to lure Andre Drummond, a bruising center who can dominate the glass and apply pressure at the rim. He has been a rebounding champ four times in his career. In the times the 76ers do rest during back-to-backs, his abilities can supplement Embiid’s absence to a tolerable degree.

With the same strategy to be utilized for Paul George, they found a weapon in the Olympics. The advent of Guerschon Yabusele, a powerful scorer will aid them in that aspect. The Frenchman had been itching for an NBA return. Following his impressive Olympics, the 76ers made the call. Within his first game, he showed promise, recording 15 points without a single miss.

Even in a compact Eastern Conference, these pivotal additions can play a major role in helping the Sixers attain stability without Embiid on the floor. Tyrese Maxey is yearning for a greater role after his All-Star berth last year. He will become the fulcrum in such situations. If all goes to plan, the Sixers could see an unharmed Joel Embiid during the postseason for the first time in their stint together.

The Process is dedicated and those around him believe in him. Do you think this strategy will reap its benefits? Let us know your views in the comments below.