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Tim Bontemps, ESPN
CAMDEN, N.J. — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid said he has lost “25 to 30 pounds” this offseason and he’s entering his 11th NBA season with one goal — to have the first fully healthy playoff run of his career.
“I still got a ways to go. I still want to lose more, but it’s a process” Embiid said Monday of his conditioning. “As soon as we lost last year, I just texted [76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey] and I was like, ‘We got to do whatever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I’m healthy.’
“So this year is all about [that].”
For all of the accolades Embiid has achieved throughout his career with the 76ers — an MVP award, seven All-Star selections and five All-NBA teams — the two things that have consistently eluded him and the franchise as a whole are a deep playoff run and Embiid making it through the playoffs healthy.
Embiid was on pace last season to become the second player in NBA history, along with Wilt Chamberlain, to score more points than minutes played. But a knee injury limited him to 39 games and left him at less than 100 percent for a first-round series loss to the New York Knicks in six games.
But after Embiid helped Team USA claim a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, he showed up at media day Monday looking slim, and with the message that his days of focusing on individual awards are over.
“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.”
The plan, like it was last season, is for Embiid to ramp up his activity level through training camp and have him ready when the season starts at home against Giannis Antetokounmpo, former 76ers coach Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 23.
The 76ers fly to the Bahamas Monday for training camp this week.
This isn’t just about making it through the regular season. After seven straight playoff appearances that have ended in the first or second round — and with Philadelphia having failed to make it past the second round since reaching the 2001 NBA Finals — Morey led the 76ers on a massive roster transformation this summer, led by the signing of nine-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection Paul George.
As a result, expectations are sky-high — and the 76ers aren’t afraid to embrace them.
“We know what the goal is,” said Tyrese Maxey, who signed a five-year max contract this summer, cementing himself as the third member of Philadelphia’s new star trio. “Like, we don’t have to talk about it. We’re not about to sit here and just harp on it every day.
“… It is so many different pieces that we have, so many different ways that we can play. That’s what I’ve learned from the offseason. We have so many different interchangeable parts, which is a blessing. So, once we figure that out, the sky’s the limit.”
That limit, though, is still based on Embiid’s health, and how far the 2023 NBA MVP can carry this franchise. Morey, coach Nick Nurse and the rest of the 76ers are focused on the same thing.
“We’re going to be really smart about it,” Morey said. “Obviously, we’re very focused on April, May and June. That doesn’t mean that the time right now isn’t very important as well, but we’re going to be very smart about how we manage him through the season. There’s going to be a lot of information, as we learn about how everything’s working with the entire roster.
“We actually have quite a few guys who we think we need to be smart about how we manage them through the season while still maintaining a high level of play. And [we’ll] keep the eye on the prize as we do that.”
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