Eventually, Joel Embiid will not play this Saturday night against the Grizzlies. The Sixers pivot is certainly gaining strength, training in recent days, but he is still too short. After his session on Friday, he took the floor to take stock of his situation.
Let's remember: he has not yet played all season, the fault of a left knee which caused him problems throughout 2024.
“I had surgery in February and I came back early to fight with my team, to play, to give us a chance. Unfortunately, we lost in the playoffs and I had time to recover. I’ve really been in management since my last operation,” summary Joel Embiid. “I manage things and try to find the best approach. I feel pretty good. I started playing again and it's going well, so I'll be back soon. »
Still a little short physically
Except that “soon” isn’t precise. The vagueness remains and the player cannot say more.
“It’s unpredictable. I can have good days, but also bad days, so it wouldn't be smart to say, here and now, that I'm going to play on Tuesday. I'm still on my way back, finding my physical shape. I need to feel 100%,” specifies the 2023 MVP. “Because over the years, I have taken risks for this team, which I will continue to do. But, for now, I need to make sure everything is okay. Everything is going in the right direction so that I can have a long season and good years. »
Joel Embiid also ruled out the hypothesis that the Olympic Games would have hampered his rehabilitation and that participation in the summer competition is responsible for his current absence. He explained that he didn't try very hard – unlike what he has to do in Philadelphia – to win the gold medal. “I was happy to get rebounds, make screens, defend, go to the rim and give others space”he slips.
“When I see people say I don’t want to play… I’ve done so much for this city, taken so many risks to be able to say that about me”
If he is close to a return, what is he missing to definitely start the 2024/25 financial year?
“Be comfortable, have confidence”, he replies. “I don't want to be in a situation where I'm afraid to do this or that thing. This is the hardest thing mentally since the operation. I'm trying to find that confidence again. In the past, it was easy, but now, for some reason, mentally, I have to trust myself, trust my body. This is what I'm doing at the moment. »
So let's not try to pass off the pivot as a sidestepping, as some may do for Kawhi Leonard, because these criticisms affect him and seem unfair.
“I had two fractures in my face, I came back very early with the risk of losing my sight. I had broken fingers and came back. When I see people saying I don’t want to play…”, he regrets. “I've been through some things. I've done so much for this city, taken so many risks to be able to say that about me. This is bullshit. I've done so much for this fucking city to be considered like that. I overdid it, damn it. I would have liked to have had more luck, like other players, but that doesn't mean that I don't try, that I don't do my best to be on the pitch. Which will soon be the case. »
