For a team looking to bounce back from the disappointment of the previous season, “positive” for Nick Nurse and the Philadelphia 76ers is having an available roster for most parts of the coming season. Last season, injuries, like a baton, kept spreading from player to player, until the team could make no meaning of their regular season other than a woeful 24-58 record.
Undoubtedly, the Sixers are coming off a season they aren’t very proud of, and with training camp commencing in a month’s time, Nick Nurse, in an interview with talkSport.com, spoke about the team’s injury struggles from the previous season and the latest on Sixers’ star Joel Embiid.
During the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Europe Camp in Manchester, Nick Nurse summarized what the previous season meant to the Sixers and how Joel Embiid was the epitome of the team’s injury crisis. The Cameroonian was only able to feature in 19 regular-season games before his season was abruptly cut short in February. A torn meniscus in his left knee in the previous year had forced him into the surgical room, before he underwent a second surgery after the season.
Giving an overview of the just-concluded season where his team were the fifth worst team in the league, Nick Nurse highlighted the injuries of several key players as a major setback.
“We had a really unfortunate season last year,” Nurse said. “We just could not get away from the injury bug at all. Not only was Joel Embiid, our former MVP from just a couple of years ago — I think he played (19) games. That was one thing.
“But it was almost four, five, six guys every night. We just never could get any continuity. We used an incredible 40 different players last year.”
Intending not to feed off the negative events of the previous season, Nick Nurse is leaving the old behind and gearing his team up for a better new.
“So let’s put that in the rearview mirror a little bit. Listen, those guys get healthy. They’re great players, and we get some better health this year. We’ll be right back in the mix and that’s what we’re looking to do.”
On Joel Embiid, much hasn’t changed from the fact that his return is very much uncertain. However, Nurse has chosen to assess Embiid’s situation with a “positive” lens.
“I’m not sure. Again, all the news is positive,” Nurse told talkSport.com. “I know he’s working very, very hard and I think things look good. Whether he’s ready for training camp or not, I think there’s maybe a lot more decisions than that to make before we get there.
“But our main thing is that he’s healthy to play and play to his nearest capabilities, because he’s awesome, no doubt about that.”
“When he’s on the floor and any night he’s out there, we’ve got a chance to win, which is amazing,” Nurse added. “We just want to make sure and get him healthy, and let him play for a longer period of time.”
Embiid is very much content with this plan not to rush things. The idea is that his recovery is approached with much caution to ensure it’s a win-win for all parties in the long run.
