The Philadelphia 76ers were, without a doubt, the most disappointing team in the league last season. The 76ers entered the season with high hopes, but those quickly faded away due to the numerous injuries they suffered on their roster.
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The injuries the team suffered were to its top stars as well in Paul George, Jared McCain and Joel Embiid.
Embiid was the topic of discussion for the 76ers, as he usually is, as it was another year where he missed most of the season.
The former NBA MVP has struggled to stay on the court outside of his MVP year, but it appears that he is doing all he can to be a consistent presence on the court.
The Cameroon native is looking leaner and ready to show the NBA world why he is one of the top players in the league.
In 11 possible seasons that Embiid could have played, he has only played in 452 games. Embiid has missed 47 percent of career regular season games. Health and availability have always been issues for Embiid, and it appears that he wants to do everything he can to dispel that narrative about him.
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If the 76ers want any shot at being a threat in the Eastern Conference, Embiid will need to be his MVP self.
The last time he played a significant number of games in a season was during his MVP campaign in the 2022-23 season. The 31-year-old superstar played in 66 games that yuear, which was the second-most he had played in his career.
Last season, while his numbers were solid, he was held to 19 games. When on the court, Embiid averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 0.9 blocks while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from deep.
Joel Embiid’s Lengthy Injury History
Embiid has a long list of injuries dating back to his rookie season. Prior to the 2014 NBA Draft, Embiid underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture of the navicular bone in his right foot.
That injury kept him out until the 2016-17 season, but that first injury was only the beginning. Embiid has suffered three meniscus injuries in his career, with the first occurring after he played in his first 30 NBA games.
From a torn thumb ligament to a knee sprain, it’s been a battle for Embiid to stay on the court. However, if this body transformation is any indication, it suggests that he will be fine and ready for the upcoming season.
The 76ers will open the season on Oct. 22 against the Boston Celtics.
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