There is now a better estimate than ever of how many games Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will play this season.
No one anticipated him to suddenly turn into an iron man playing all 82 games, but rather, the number is much lower than that. Embiid shared with ESPN's Tim Bontemps that he will probably never appear in both games of a back-to-back for the remainder of his career.
"If I had to guess," Embiid said, "I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career."
According to Sixers reporter Michael Kaskey-Blomain, Philadelphia plays 15 back-to-backs this season. This places Embiid at a maximum of 67 appearances (assuming he misses 15 of the 30), just two above the 65-appearance rule set to qualify for major awards. The chances of the 30-year-old not missing any other matchups are slim to none, meaning he's, in a sense, already eliminated from MVP contention.
The good news for the 76ers is Embiid made abundantly clear winning individual awards is not a priority. Instead, the seven-time All-Star is focused on hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of this season.
Still, the news left fans (especially those planning on attending Sixers games this season) frustrated. The majority of social media believes Embiid is acting soft by not playing while also limiting the opportunities for fans to watch him play.
Others understand the goal of not playing in back-to-backs: keep Embiid healthy for the postseason.
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