Sixers Buzz: Nick Nurse Hints at different strategy for Joel Embiid’s load management
Just last week, the NBA sanctioned a set of new regulations aimed at cracking down on teams resting star players.
Philadelphia 76ers’ center Joel Embiid stands out as a prominent figure in the NBA’s recent rule changes. The Sixers will risk financial penalties if they give their superstar center a break during specific matchups. Additionally, the regulations impose even stricter limitations on rest for the team if James Harden joins the lineup — an option strongly encouraged by these fresh league rules.
As a point of clarification, the NBA categorizes a “star” as a player who has earned a spot on either an All-Star or All-NBA team in any of the preceding three seasons.
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New Sixers coach Nick Nurse sat down with Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire, where he explained his plan for managing Joel Embiid’s workload with these new rules intact.
“I think that we are looking at it maybe a little different than people think we might be. We’re trying to get him to play more games. Our goal is that it’s going up for him, not not the other direction, and some people would say, ‘Oh, that’s playoffs. Is he going to be?’
We’re just trying to get it going the other direction. I think that’s just what our people believe here that he can play and again, knock on wood, cross our fingers, all that stuff. There’s always things that can come up with that stuff, but I don’t know. I believe in the guys playing as much as they can and let’s see what happens.”
Nick Nurse on Sixers Wire
The latest rule changes have rekindled concerns about the necessity of providing rest for these star players, especially with the continued discussion of the 82-game season being too long. Nevertheless, for the upcoming season, the practice of load management is poised to undergo significant changes across the league during the regular season.
The Sixers training camp begins Oct. 3, followed by the preseason tipping off on October 8th and the official start of the regular season slated for October 26th.
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