Since Joel Embiid has conquered the 12-minute playing restriction with relative ease, expect to see his playing time increase as the Philadelphia 76ers get ready for the regular season.
According to head coach Brett Brown, the Sixers would like to have Embiid to play more as the preseason progresses, eventually topping out around 24 minutes a night by the team’s season opener on October 26.
Brown has been pleased w/ how he has been able to use Embiid and Henderson. Thinks that Embiid playing time limit will soon increase.
— Brian Seltzer (@brianseltzer) October 10, 2016
Sounds like the goal could be to have Embiid top out at around 24 minutes by time regular season starts.
— Brian Seltzer (@brianseltzer) October 10, 2016
Philadelphia has four remaining preseason games: Memphis (Oct. 11), Washington (Oct. 13), Detroit (Oct. 15), and Miami (Oct. 21). The team will have Embiid remain on the same 12-minute restriction Tuesday against the Grizzlies, but it would make sense for him to see an increase in playing time starting Thursday.
Embiid’s 12-minute restriction has been broken down into three four-minute stints, all in the first half. That’s somewhat demanding for a seven-footer who hasn’t seen the court in two years, but his body seems to be holding up well, and his stamina is improving with each passing game.
In 38 minutes over three games, Embiid has a total of 23 points (8-22 FG), 11 rebounds, four blocks, and six turnovers.
Putting Embiid in the 20-24 minute range is a perfect amount for him to have the chance to legitimately contribute to the team, and provided that he has no setbacks in his health, it’s reasonable to believe he could be playing 30-plus minutes by the end of the season. At the very least, Brett Brown should give him some opportunities to play in crunch time, regardless of how many minutes he’s played on that given night.
From both an on-court and health perspective, there has only been good news on the Embiid front. The team can only hope it stays that way.