Andre Drummond of the 76ers defends Joel Embiid not playing in a disappointing season
Things did not bode well Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers throughout the entire 2024-25 NBA season. And since Embiid has had several absences, Andre Drummond came to Zvezda’s defense.
Drummond was a special guest in one episode Podcast P with Paul George presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, uploaded to YouTube on Monday. 76ers teammates discussed how the team remains focused despite a challenging start to the season.
Another topic they talked about was Embiid’s lack of play this season. The star center only appeared in 13 games, missed 28 contests due to injury and back load management. Drummond claimed to be the star of the 76ers he still works hard to help the team win games despite his current situation.
“Joel was the same guy, he works hard, he works very hard. When he is fit and able to play, he is one of the hardest working people. “He’s doing everything he needs to do to get his body right when it’s time to play,” Drummond said at 25:02.
“You know some of these things are out of his control. So he tries to do the best he can when he can, but the media, the media. It will always have a story. There will always be stories, no one really knows what they put in to get it right.
Joel Embiid, the 76ers must fight for a better second half of the season
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When Joel Embiid is healthy, the Philadelphia 76ers pose as a threat to any team in the league.
However, his inability to stay on the field kept the team’s potential with a the supposed star trio of Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. George has also missed time this year due to injuries, sitting out 14 games while Maxey sat out seven contests.
In 13 games in which he participated, Embiid averaged 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists. His shooting efficiency has declined with him in and out of the lineup, currently sitting at 45.2% from the field and 32.7% from beyond the arc.
Philadelphia is riding a six-game losing streak, falling to 15-26 at the start of the second half of the regular season. They are 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, two games behind the Chicago Bulls for what would be the final playoff spot.
In order to make the playoffs, the 76ers must continue to manage Embiid’s health as best they can as the season winds down. Anything else would otherwise jeopardize his long-term health and future with the franchise.
The 76ers will prepare for the next three games against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday and the Bulls on Saturday.
2025-01-20 21:59:00
