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Sixers star Joel Embiid saying goodbye to back-to-backs?
Joel Embiid won his first NBA MVP trophy in 2023. With his new commitment to schedule rest and the NBA's new requirements for awards, it could be his last.
Joel Embiid says he may never play back-to-back games EVER again
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 14, 2024
More here: https://t.co/ReQf1tt20G
(via @TimBontemps) pic.twitter.com/LxBmVy3YNw
After another early playoff exit where Embiid dealt with an injury, this time to his left knee, the Philadelphia 76ers star center texted team president Daryl Morey, "We got to do what ever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I'm healthy."
"Whatever it takes" started with Embiid losing weight this summer, reportedly 25-30 pounds. The team is also holding Embiid out of all of their preseason games in hopes of managing his balky knee. And it appears that playing in back-to-back games is off the table for the big man.
Embiid told ESPN, "If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career."
That's big news ahead of a season where Philadelphia is scheduled to play on back-to-back nights 15 times. If he's missing 15 games already, it's very unlikely that Embiid can hit the 65-game threshold to become eligible for NBA awards and honors, like the All-NBA team.
Embiid isn't the only Sixer that the team is planning to load manage. Morey suggested that their big free agent signing, Paul George, would also sit on back-to-backs. That means the team will lean heavily on backup center Andre Drummond, the self-proclaimed "best rebounder ever," along with reserves Eric Go rdon and Kyle Lowry, who are 35 and 38 years old, respectively.
The Sixers are rolling the dice a bit with this rest plan. They're relying on Guerschon Yabusele, who's been out of the NBA for five years, along with rookie Jared McCain and second-year win Ricky Council IV.
But it appears that Philadelphia is willing to sacrifice regular season wins in order to have the healthiest possible playoff roster. Its veterans are also sacrificing personal accolades, and the team as a whole might be writing off its chances at home-court advantage for the playoffs.
If it gives the Sixers a healthy Embiid in the spring for the first time in five years, the gamble will pay off. It's good news for 76ers fans, who haven't seen their team get past the second round in 23 years. Unless they bet the over on the team's wins (51.5 as of Monday).
More must-reads:
- 76ers star ruled out for remainder of preseason
- Ex-NBA veteran predicts Celtics start year 'with some attitude'
- The 'NBA MVP' quiz
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The 'Scoring leaders by NBA franchise' quiz
Happy birthday to the late Los Angeles Lakers and NBA legend Kobe Bryant! Originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets out of high school in 1996, he was traded on draft night to the Lakers for big man Vlade Divac. Bryant gave the Lakers 20 seasons, making 18 All-Star teams, 15 All-NBA nods, five NBA titles, two scoring titles, two Finals MVP awards and one regular season MVP. Which brings us to today's quiz. When Bryant retired after the 2015-16 season -- going out with a historic 60 points (on 50 shots from the field). With that being said, how many of the all-time leading scorers for every NBA franchise can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Green Bay Packers: Luke Musgrave’s Wife’s Stunned Reaction to Jordan Love’s Wife’s Personal Post
The Green Bay Packers are about to kick off their 2025 NFL regular season, so it feels like a good time for some of the players to look back at some of the key moments and experiences they’ve had in the offseason. For quarterback Jordan Love and tight end Luke Musgrave, the 2025 NFL offseason will always be one that they’ll cherish — and not just because of anything that’s football-related. Love and Musgrave both got married to their respective longtime girlfriends in the offseason. The signal-caller tied the knot with Ronika Stone in June, while Musgrave and Madi Weisner exchanged vows in July. Ronika Stone’s wedding lookback gets Green Bay tight end’s wife’s reactions Mrs. Love recently shared a post on Instagram that shows a series of snapshots from her wedding with the Packers’ signal caller. “Every detail was SPECTACULAR ,” Ronika wrote as a caption for the post. She clearly is still awed by how her wedding looked that day, with several beautiful flower arrangements adorning the special day. Ronika’s post drew plenty of comments, including one from Mrs. Musgrave, who wrote “UNREAL.” It’s great to see Packers players’ wives showing support for each other just as Love and Musgrave do on the field. For Musgrave, he is looking to have a big rebound in 2025 after only appearing in seven games and coming up with 45 receiving yards with zero touchdowns and only a couple of first downs on seven receptions and 10 targets. The Packers, who will play the Seattle Seahawks at home this Saturday for both teams’ 2025 NFL preseason finale, will face the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field in Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.
Browns have major injury concern on offense after starter exits game
The Cleveland Browns have a big concern on Saturday following an injury to a key part of the offensive line. The Browns played their starters against the Los Angeles Rams as a tune-up before the regular season. Per the NFL's website, center Ethan Pocic was ruled out of Saturday's game against the Rams when he suffered a knee injury. Via the NFL: "C Ethan Pocic suffered a knee injury against Los Angeles and will not return to the game. Pocic played eight snaps with starting quarterback Joe Flacco before exiting with his injury. Pocic was injured on a third-and-9 play in the first quarter when Rams defensive tackle Desjuan Johnson ran into his leg while he was engaged in a block on linebacker Brennan Jackson." Pocic's injury is a worry for the Browns ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. The 2017 second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks is a leader on Cleveland's offensive line. He's been with the Browns since 2022. Pocic has appeared in 101 games and started in 84 during his first eight years in the league. The upcoming season is important for the 30-year-old, as he's in the final year of the three-year, $18 million deal he signed in 2023. When Pocic came out of the game, the Browns inserted Luke Wypler in at center. The 2023 sixth-round pick has played in just five games in his career and has made one start. Wypler missed all of 2024 with an ankle injury that required surgery.
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'Off the table': Cowboys have strong stance on Micah Parsons as saga gets uglier
Following Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones‘ latest comments on the Micah Parsons situation, the All-Pro pass-rusher took the increasingly common step of scrubbing his X profile of Cowboys material. The Cowboys have been known to prolong negotiations, regardless of price hikes, and they are well down this road once again with another standout. Multiple teams have inquired about Parsons’ availability, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said during a "SportsCenter" appearance. Nothing is moving on that front, as Dallas continues to hold tight during its latest contract saga. That aligns with what we heard last week, with GMs indicating they have not gotten the sense Parsons is available following his trade request. Noting it would take a Herschel Walker-like offer for the Cowboys to move Parsons, so it's "off the table," and Fowler points to team optimism a deal can still be finalized before the season. It should also be noted Parsons’ camp is less optimistic. Jones attempting to go around high-powered agent David Mulugheta in negotiations has understandably irked Parsons, who employs an agent to negotiate his contract. The longtime Cowboys owner referencing a $200M guarantee also reflects what is likely a five- or six-year Dallas extension offer. With the cap soaring annually, players are increasingly opting against long-term deals. The Cowboys prefer them, but it is notable Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb convinced the team to budge here by each scoring four-year extensions. It would surprise if Parsons signed for beyond four years, but Jones continues to reference his negotiations with the player — talks Parsons classified as informal — this offseason. A Cowboys source mentioned the 49ers’ Nick Bosa situation re: Parsons. San Francisco did not have Bosa signed until four days before the 2023 regular season. Bosa played in Week 1 despite holding out until his extension was done. Parsons has spoken out about how not practicing during a negotiation can negatively impact a season, and he long preferred to have his deal done by training camp. The Cowboys are well past that artificial deadline, as these talks now remind of the Prescott and Lamb pace. Neither of those performers requested a trade, which is a notable difference between this Parsons back-and-forth and previous Cowboys extension struggles. While Fowler adds Mulugheta certainly didn’t tell Jones to stick the team’s offer “up their (expletive),” the Cowboys going to these lengths to avoid dealing with one of the game’s top agents has been an interesting chapter. Jones taking this route is not out of character. But Parsons taking issue with it to the degree he has would seem to require the team to change course and huddle up with Mulugheta — if the intent is to finalize a deal before Week 1. The Cowboys’ Thursday night assignment in Philadelphia to open the season also gives them less time than they had with Prescott last year. Mentioning the Packers, Cardinals and Ravens as potential trade fits, Fowler outlines what would certainly be a robust market if the Cowboys did decide to explore what the top player would fetch in a trade. Of course, dealing Parsons would significantly weaken the 2025 Cowboys. Jones mentioned during his Michael Irvin podcast conversation the prospect of franchise-tagging Parsons next year. That would be an option, but the Cowboys are not giving up on a 2025 deal yet.
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