Will Nick Nurse do it again? In 2019, the coach won the title at the head of the Raptors by saving as much as possible Kawhi Leonardwho had not played back-to-backs in the regular season.
Now at the head of the Sixers, the coach obviously has the same plan in mind with Joel Embiid this season…
“If I have to make a prediction, it’s likely I’ll never play back-to-back again in my career.” squarely ensures the pivot to ESPNwhile Daryl Morey adds that Paul George could also be saved.
A conference is much stronger at the top
“We are going to be intelligent on the subject” confirms the club president. “And being smart about it means having Paul and Joel play few, if any, back-to-backs. »
The 2023 MVP is thus already saved in preseason, and he knows that he has a good chance of not playing any of the 15 back-to-backs scheduled for the team this season. An assumed strategy that will certainly raise some eyebrows in Adam Silver's offices…
But on the Philadelphia side, we believe that this is the best strategy to have Joel Embiid finally at 100% during the playoffs. And therefore capable of taking this group to the title. Like Kawhi Leonard in 2019, therefore.
“It wasn’t exactly the same thing.” however recognizes Nick Nurse, who recalls that the East was less strong at the time, especially at the top, and that the Raptors were therefore able to recover second place in the East despite the absences of “The Klaw”, by winning 17 of the 22 games he had missed. “But that’s fine with me. I don't think we should focus on getting 45, 55 or 65 wins anyway. »
| Joel Embiid | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2016-17 | PHL | 31 | 25 | 46.6 | 36.7 | 78.3 | 2.0 | 5.9 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 20.2 |
| 2017-18 | PHL | 63 | 30 | 48.3 | 30.8 | 76.9 | 2.3 | 8.7 | 11.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 3.7 | 1.8 | 22.9 |
| 2018-19 | PHL | 64 | 34 | 48.4 | 30.0 | 80.4 | 2.5 | 11.1 | 13.6 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 27.5 |
| 2019-20 | PHL | 51 | 30 | 47.7 | 33.1 | 80.7 | 2.8 | 8.9 | 11.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 23.0 |
| 2020-21 | PHL | 51 | 31 | 51.3 | 37.7 | 85.9 | 2.2 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 28.5 |
| 2021-22 | PHL | 68 | 34 | 49.9 | 37.1 | 81.4 | 2.2 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 30.6 |
| 2022-23 ★ | PHL | 66 | 35 | 54.8 | 33.0 | 85.7 | 1.7 | 8.4 | 10.2 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 33.1 |
| 2023-24 | PHL | 39 | 34 | 52.9 | 38.8 | 88.3 | 2.4 | 8.6 | 11.0 | 5.6 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 34.7 |
| Total | 433 | 32 | 50.4 | 34.1 | 82.6 | 2.2 | 8.9 | 11.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 27.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
