2024-2025 Sixers: Maxey-mizing or Minimizing?
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25-30 pounds sounds like a bit much, especially when he took a month + off from his usual training regimen to play in the olympics and exhibitions. Still, losing some weight is a big step towards actually staying on the court and in shape. He's been listed at 280 pounds, for a guy who does most of his scoring at the line and from jump shots that's just unnecessary.
From that article: "There's no agenda, there's no All-Star, there's no All-NBA, there's none of that," Embiid said. "It's whatever it takes to make sure that I get to that point and I'm ready to go because ... basically every single year in my career, I've been hurt in the playoffs. So that's the goal, and it's all about doing whatever it takes to get there."
Basically what @benhogan has been saying.
If Embiid and PG13 are healthy in the playoffs, PHI will be a tough out. Tougher than NYK, I think. Big if though.
Playing in the olympics might have been better for him then his usual training regimen. Actually, I care less about his weight (though that’s important) and more about how his knee is doing and his conditioning.
The real issue is how many wins can a team loading managing Embiid and Paul George can get. You probably want to limit both to 50-55 games. They have a pretty good schedule with only three national games on back to backs. Probably involves sitting a Brooklyn game, and punting their OKC and Sacramento road games. The Celtics will probably see Embiid twice this season if he stays healthy.
The real question is if the Celtics will see the 76ers in the first round if PG or Embiid take significant time off.
That he had that much to lose hopefully puts to rest the ridiculous arguments people have been making in his defense that he was already in top-tier shape. He has never been before, and we'll see if he is now or not.
He is absolutely saying the right things, and if he truly lost that weight doing a critical one so good on him for both of those.
He is absolutely saying the right things, and if he truly lost that weight doing a critical one so good on him for both of those.
WBCD's posted quote above tells us to short 76ers regular season win total.
I guess Joel has seen the "playoff" light. He should play 45-50 games, something like 2 games/week at most. Keep him to 30mpg. Then unleash him in the playoffs.
Getting a healthy 76er team in Round 1 would be brutal. BUT I think they still have enough to be a 4-6 seed and they'd want to avoid the PLAY-IN nightmare.
I think they are destined for six seed to play in but I think they win the first play in game.
Along the same lines, I'd love for Brad to turn to Al Horford and say we're not making you travel after New Year's. Only HOME games during the 2nd half of the season. Just do your daily maintenance workout while we're on the road. Go to your kids' games, spend time with the wife, take a family trip to Cancun, whatever you want. Just be prepared for the playoffs.
Oh yea, we have this Wakefield extension we'd like you to sign.
The 6 seed is generally like a 45 win team. You should be hammering the under if you think this is likely, for PHI has a 52.5 - 53.5 line
He's a footer so that is less than a normal small guy like somebody 6'6 losing 30 pounds. To really fit players losing 2 pounds can make a big difference.
My experience is big dudes (6'9 and up) who are too heavy losing weight has one of two outcomes.
1. They get significantly better sometimes even worlds better
2. They get hurt in the process of trying to get in great shape
My take oin his talk about not worrying about awards is he will rest enough to not be eligible.
That'd better be the case, or else it will just prove what everyone should already know (that he's a stat padding fraud who only truly cares about regular season awards and honors and would rather complain about teammates and opponents than about making the sacrifices necessary to be successful in the playoffs). He shouldn't be playing both ends of back to backs, he shouldn't be playing late in blowouts to extend his 30/10 streak or whatever, and he should be taking additional rest days wherever convenient (Philly plays @ Denver just two days after playing @ Milwaukee, so we already know he'll miss that game).
Getting on the Horford rest plan doesn't even guarantee that he'll be ineligible for offseason honors (Al has played 69, 63 and 65 games since returning to Boston), but at this point I think it's pretty clear that they need to stop wasting Embiid minutes on games that just don't matter.
I'll believe it when he actually does it. He talks a lot but on the floor it just seems like the same floppy bird as usual.
Oh yea. Without one of the three guys this team is not good. The surrounding cast on the 76ers has taken a HUGE step back. Right now Yabusele is probably going to rack up GSs.
Without Embiid and George, this team is 25-30 win team at best. For Philadelphia to get to 53 wins, you are betting that Embiid and Paul George are both giving you over 65 games (probably closer to 70). That hasn't happened in six years.
Embiid to me always looks like he’s carrying an extra 30 or more pounds. He doesn’t have the body of an NBA player who eats right and conditions properly.
If he can drop 30 pounds and stay healthy, he’s going to be even more difficult to deal with. No center has had the offensive package as Embiid’s.
One other way to stay healthy, besides being in NBA shape and being load managed, is to stop falling to the floor twenty times a game. Stop eating, stop grifting, and maybe Embiid will see a ECF or Finals as something more than a commentator
If he can drop 30 pounds and stay healthy, he’s going to be even more difficult to deal with. No center has had the offensive package as Embiid’s.
One other way to stay healthy, besides being in NBA shape and being load managed, is to stop falling to the floor twenty times a game. Stop eating, stop grifting, and maybe Embiid will see a ECF or Finals as something more than a commentator
View: https://twitter.com/TommyBeer/status/1846002870786629683
In less immediate news, in addition to no preseason for Embiid, it sounds like he won't do any back-to-backs either.
In less immediate news, in addition to no preseason for Embiid, it sounds like he won't do any back-to-backs either.
Is there something to be said about having a little more bulk down in the post? I mean yes its important to be "in shape", but is having a little bulk necessarily a bad thing? For a guy who goes to the line a jillion times a game maybe a little cushion couldnt hurt.
A recent podcast from The Athletic shared the best statistic I heard so far about he upcoming season: There is only one team in the league that is both in the Top3 smallest rosters while also in the Top3 heaviest rosters...:
Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2024/25 Philadelphia 76ers!
So let's see if small and heavy leads to success... maybe there is a way to the NBA for guys like me after all.
The 2024 Sixers are brought to you by Geno's...double the whiz!!!
Daryl Morey, Kyle Lowry & Eric Gordon have a PJ Tucker reunion in the works, along with dinner reservations.
I probably would have done things exactly the same as Morey, and he did do a great job this summer, but the downside was always bigger than people wanted to really admit.
Cameroonian Timelord could go downhill quickly.
I forget, didn't OKC end up with the Clippers' swap at the end of all the dealing last year?
Not with a bang, but with a whimper. They might need Maxey to really explode this year if they want to avoid the play in.
How much did the line move with the announcement? I think I'm seeing MIL was the +2.5 underdogs before the announcement, is that correct?
Man I would think someone is making some serious coin just playing "injury arbitrage" in the NBA market.
It was +3 overnight then the leaks pushed it to +2.5 then +2 before it came off the board on the news. Re-opened at an overcorrection -4.5 and money on Sixers settled this down to -3. I know @Red Averages loves this shit with his background. But yes, the larger betting groups with the sources info get in prior to the news then back the other way oftentimes attacking the overcorrection.
If both miss significant time the Sixers lack of depth would almost certainly eliminate them from a Top-6 slot even with another big Maxey year.
Jokes aside, has it been reported that Embiid is actually hurt? We saw George hyperextend his knee so it makes sense he's not playing, but what exactly is wrong with Embiid?
View: https://twitter.com/PompeyOnSixers/status/1848769164892139661
View: https://twitter.com/PompeyOnSixers/status/1848769164892139661
He's not injured; he's just ramping up. He'll be out all week.
Joel Embiid may already be disqualifying himself from MVP and All-NBA races
I'm embarrassed for the Sixers that they can say this with a straight face. I'm onboard with Embiid not playing back to backs, he doesn't need the extra stress and it won't happen in the playoffs, but that means they need to maximize the non-back to backs so that he can build up reps with Paul George (I realize George isn't playing anyway, but if this was the plan all along with Embiid, why didn't they have him ready to go at the start of the year? George just got hurt last week, I assume he would've been playing if not for the knee injury). I get prioritizing injury over chemistry and seeding, but this is taking that stance to a fault.
If PHI could get away with telling Embiid to take a vacation until Janiuary-ish, I think they'd do that. PHI isn't having Embiid scrimmage with the rest of the team this year - Joel Embiid's 'new normal' in 76ers practice amid injury concerns.
Kawhi played 60 games with Nurse in TOR during their title run. I expect Embiid to play less than that. Playing him 65 games a year didn't work so why not try playing him 55?
I think the odds of Embiid being healthy entering the playoffs will be pretty high this year. Hopefully, PHI will be on the other side of BOS's bracket.
How about the odds of him being healthy and in shape enough to get through the 4th quarter without supplemental oxygen?
I said "entering" the playoffs. To your point, I'm not it's going to help him get through the playoffs but as my Mom used to say, "We shall see."
The boy and I are going to see Philly vs. Memphis on November 2nd (family weekend adventure) — we’re doomed to watch Maxey/Oubre/Caleb Martin/KJ Marin/Drummond, aren’t we?
At least we have a reasonable chance of seeing Smart, JJJ, and Ja.
At least we have a reasonable chance of seeing Smart, JJJ, and Ja.
Well, there’s not a b2b involved, and the Griz have a rookie center, who Embid might feel that he could take advantage of, so …..
How can Embiid possibly be considered for the league MVP when he plays so few games?
2020-21: 51 games (missed 38% of games) - #2 in MVP
2021-22: 68 games (missed 17% of games) - #2 in MVP
2022-23: 66 games (missed 20% of games) - #1 in MVP
2023-24: 39 games (missed 52% of games) - thankfully didn't get MVP votes
I guess when most other stars are also sitting that much it evens out?
I don't want to post Tatum's games played because - knock on wood. But it's...impressive for this day and age.
2020-21: 51 games (missed 38% of games) - #2 in MVP
2021-22: 68 games (missed 17% of games) - #2 in MVP
2022-23: 66 games (missed 20% of games) - #1 in MVP
2023-24: 39 games (missed 52% of games) - thankfully didn't get MVP votes
I guess when most other stars are also sitting that much it evens out?
I don't want to post Tatum's games played because - knock on wood. But it's...impressive for this day and age.
The Sixers have basically come out and said he's not going to be in the race for MVP this year. I don't know exactly how many back to backs the Sixers have, but Horford has sat out back to backs since coming back to Boston and he's averaged 66 games played per year. 0 margin for error if he wants to qualify for end of year honors, and given that he's already sitting out opening week (and obviously will miss his game @ Denver, not part of a back to back), hitting the 65 game threshold is functionally impossible.
View: https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1849173672550158347
I'm still not really understanding how if he's healthy, he's not available for their opening game. I'm not the only one.
I'm still not really understanding how if he's healthy, he's not available for their opening game. I'm not the only one.
Yeah, that's kind of odd. You have to think the league talked to Sixers before announcing anything, so what are Sixers doing - maybe they just stonewalled? League can really only say that he should be on an injury report, right? So long as he and team doc say it's injury/conditioning the league can't realistically do anything about it.
I'm not sure how Morey said what he did without an investigation. Isn't he basically giving the league the finger? He said Embiid and PG13 aren't playing back-to-backs, but the NBA made a concerted effort last year to require players to actually play the game (with certain exemptions for older players or non-stars). I'm not sure why the Sixers deserve to be exempt from NBA rules just because they view it as a competitive advantage - as if no other teams in the league share that viewpoint.
Man, I don’t have a smart Celtics jersey, but if you have one, it would be the balls wear it to the game.
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They've got the best backup center in the league, I don't know what else they need.
