Nuggets coach Michael Malone expects the NBA to investigate the Sixers after Joel Embiid was a late scratch for Saturday’s game at Denver, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Embiid wasn’t listed on Philadelphia’s injury report, but the team’s medical staff decided to hold him out due to knee soreness after watching him in pregame warmups.
Malone suggests the decision might violate the league’s new Player Participation Policy, which discourages teams from resting star players who aren’t seriously injured. The guidelines specifically mention nationally televised games, which Saturday’s contest was as an expected meeting between Embiid and Nikola Jokic. The PPP also encourages single-game absences for stars to happen at home rather than on the road.
“I don’t know how you go from being active, available, to out. And I’m sure the league will do their due diligence, because that’s frowned upon,” Malone said. “And we’ve had situations this year where we talked to the league, and they told us if a player goes from being active to out, there’s going to be an investigation. So I’m sure that’ll happen. And I’m sure that Joel, he hurt his knee in the Indiana game. Like, that’s real. … I’m sure he is hurt.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Embiid took a lot of heat for missing the game, including a derisive chant of “Where’s Embiid at?” from Nuggets fans, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Coach Nick Nurse defended his star center, saying Embiid has been experiencing knee pain for some time and will be reevaluated today. “I don’t think that it’s anything that’s super major,” Nurse said. “But it’s always kind of monitoring any of the swelling or whatever’s going on. Try to get it under control and get him ready as soon as we can.”
- With Embiid unavailable, backup center Paul Reed delivered one of the best games of his career, Pompey adds. Reed posted Embiid-style numbers with 30 points, 13 rebounds and two steals and even impressed Jokic with his performance. “We don’t need to talk about Joel Embiid, not just because he didn’t play, but because I think Paul Reed played really good for them,” Jokic said. “And we need to give him credit. He was fighting, he attacked the glass, he shot the ball really well. I think he deserves, in this moment, more time than Joel.”
- In an interview with Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Tyrese Maxey talks about being given the freedom to run the Sixers’ offense in his fourth NBA season. “It’s been great,” Maxey said. “These guys have the ultimate confidence in me, all the way from the organization down to the players, the front office. So I can just go out there and be successful every single night. Be aggressive, play my game — even through mistakes, too.”
Embiid wants to contend for MVP again and missed a number of games before this. With the need to hit 65 games minimum played he wouldn’t be sitting if he thought he could play.
This is exactly the type of narrative that should be thought of. If this were late in the season and he already secure the 65 games then sure, but not when every game counts.
Q: What is Joel Embiid’s favorite animal?
A: Ducks
That’s stupid. Give yourself a wedgie.
What’s yours? A weasel?
Maybe the Embiid naysayers should be talking about how Paul Reed put 30 up on Jokic instead of thinking this conspiracy B.S. about Embiid sitting out. Look at the stats from the last time they played against each other.! I don’t think Joel’s ducking him!
If nuggets played 76ers in the finals, who you got? Finals and Embiid, oops, my bad.
Conspiracy lol. He’s missed the matchup in Denver 4 years in a row
It makes sense if you think about it. He’s always banged up. If any game makes sense to rest him it’s the high altitude one. His game would likely be harder in the thinner air anyway.
Typical 76ers fans celebrating individual stats in a game they lost. Yeah, you guys really showed Jokic lol I’m sure he’s real broken up about it
I think Malone needs to be more worried about how Paul Reed dropped 30/13 on his team lol
Lol 76ers lost who cares
Denver beat the Sixers C team narrowly while at home.
Oh my bad maybe they won’t count it then lmao
Hard to see how this doesn’t cheapen the 70 game he just had.
Show up and dominate one to the league dogs at home? No problem.
Show up and risk exposing your flaws against the best of the best on the road/at altitude? Nah, im good.
Hasn’t he skipped the annual Denver game multiple times already?
He just put up 41 against Denver two weeks ago….
Jojo with a broken face on the road showed up ,Jojo with a thumb tore off on the road showed up, Jojo with a tore mcl on the road showed up rumpkin. Last time I checked Jojo introduced himself to the joker.
B-Ball Paul scoring 30 on the Joker highlights what we already know – Jokic’s defense is the real Joke. Yet, MVP voting always gives him a pass on it. Sad.
Jokic is a champ. Embid is a chump
Jokic as always was spot on about Paul Reed, right?
No one seems to talk about him right now.
Why does Malone expect this? Did he file a complaint against Embiid?
Sixers played without their 3 best players and barely lost. No Embiid, Maxey or Harris.