Philadelphia 76ers: 3 reasons to make a trade approaching deadline

2. Joel Embiid‘s health risks

You might hate me for being that guy, but someone had to bring it up. Can Joel Embiid hold up for an entire season of 36-plus minutes a night, while being the offensive and defensive fulcrum? There’s no evidence to suggest this.

Yes, Embiid encouragingly played 63 games last year. Yes, he has *knocks on wood* avoided the injury bug so far this season too. But it could all change with one misstep.

It doesn’t help that Embiid is 7’2″ and freakishly athletic. Everything that makes him as ridiculously good as he is today could also be his demise tomorrow.

He’s ready to win now, and he knows it. He carries himself like an elite NBA player because he is one. With a fully healthy offseason finally under his belt, we’ve finally seen just how good Embiid truly is. So to waste such greatness by chalking it up to “development” and “flexibility” is a disgrace to team-building.

Sure, there are concerns over his fit in a playoff setting against attacking ball-handlers. But is he going to get any better at that next season than he would this season? That seems like a structural thing that either has to be found out now, or never will be.

It’s time to either piss or get off the pot.