Embiid sits out practice for load management
CAMDEN » After two training camp practices, Joel Embiid was given a day off from training camp Monday amid the Sixers’ continuing commitment to his “load management.”
Embiid did attend practice and while not in standard practice gear, he was dressed for basketball and healthy. He will play Tuesday night in an intra-squad scrimmage at the Palestra.
“We had two great days, and so did he,” Brett Brown said. “Tomorrow is sort of a game day for us, where you come in and have a shoot-around and then you go to the Palestra and play in front of what I think is going to be a fantastic crowd.”
Embiid was available to the Sixers in the draft largely because he was injured late in his only season at Kansas, then missed two full NBA seasons, then was unable to finish either of the next two regular-seasons healthy. So the alarm will sound whenever he is unavailable. But his inactivity Monday caused no ripple of panic around the training complex.
“We just felt like it would be good to let him have today and rest,” Brown said, “and let him jump back into it tomorrow.”
Embiid did not speak to the press Monday, but as recently as Sunday was found going all-in on the Sixers’ plan to let him play “bully ball” this season, taking more advantage of his strength and regularly moving him closer to the basket.
“Take less threes, play more in the paint, dunking, using the low zone more, doing more posting up,” Embiid said. “I will use my power and my skill every time I touch the ball.”
In theory, that sounded good. But doesn’t his ability to shoot from distance and be a factor all around the floor make Embiid uniquely effective? And weren’t his 66 three-point buckets valuable in the Sixers’ rise last season to 52 wins?
“I want him shooting threes,” Brown assured. “And we obviously want him to get inside. He’s as big as anybody in the NBA. But to feel that’s the only thing he can do is really naive, and I don’t think great coaching.
“So me coaching him and getting that balance of post-up, post-up, postup, dunk, dunk, dunk, vs. he’s trailing and nobody is guarding him, and to have him shoot some threes and space him in corners as we put Markelle (Fultz) in a pick-and-roll, that interests me.”
With Jimmy Butler clearly available for trade, and with the Sixers yet to have successfully hunted down a new star, to borrow Brown’s term, would the head coach welcome a new player to his mix?
“I’ll give you the canned, coach-speak line that everybody will give you,” said Brown, careful not to tamper or to name names. “And that’s that you always want to make the team better. I do think Elton (Brand) is going to be fantastic and he is going to keep me in the loop. We talk all the time about what’s obviously going on in the market and seeing where that might affect us or otherwise.”
Butler has made it clear that he is displeased with the situation in Minnesota, where ownership is reported anxious to acquire something of value for the four-time All-Star swingman before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.
The Sixers are known to be interested. So, though, are Sacramento, Portland, Brooklyn, the Clippers, Houston and Detroit, with Miami and Pat Riley being said to be particularly aggressive.
“We’re always spit-balling,” Brown said. “We’re always aware and paying attention and trying to find ways to make ourselves better. My immediate focus is this gym and the development and putting them in good situations. That is where my head is at, almost entirely.”
The Palestra scrimmage will be at 7 Tuesday. Everyone but Zhaire Smith (foot) will be available to play.
“I’m always ready to get on the floor, definitely,” Ben Simmons said. “Especially in front of a Philly crowd, it’s going to be fun.”