The Philadelphia 76ers played host to the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, and once again rookie sensation Joel The Process Embiid was the story of the night.
The third overall pick from the 2014 draft put up 12 points and collected 11 rebounds, but after failing to capitalize on a potential game winner at the end of overtime, Embiid was informed by a team doctor that he had already played 27 minutes, slightly over the minutes limit set by the team at the start of the season due to concerns from his past foot injury. He would be forced to sit out for the second overtime period, leading to frustration from The Process over the 76ers’… process.
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The 76ers found themselves down early in double overtime and went on to lose 104-99. Despite Embiid trying desperately to get back into the game in the final few minutes, Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown stayed true to the team’s own process by keeping him on the bench. But coach Brown knows the big man could have made a difference.
At 4-11, the 76ers are still far from being a championship contender or even a playoff team, which is why sticking with their process and restricting Embiid to a minutes limit is more important than potentially winning one game in November. Fortunately for the 76ers and their star big man, Embiid’s minutes limit might get lifted after Christmas due to him showing no signs of past injury or fatigue.
For the first time in a long time 76ers fans have something to be excited about every time their team hits the court. Ben Simmons was supposed to be the guy who brought excitement to the 2016-17 76ers season, but a foot injury has prevented him from making his NBA debut. But the 76ers are finally seeing The Process go to work, and it’s been lovely. The athletic seven-foot big man is already a must-see player with one of the highest ceilings of any athlete in the league, averaging nearly 18 and 8 with 2.4 blocks in 22 minutes per game. If everything goes according to plan, the 76ers, with their wealth of prospects, will be an Eastern Conference threat in a few short years. Until then, The Process needs to trust the process.
[CSN]
