Doc Rivers, Joel Embiid discuss adjustment with knee brace for Sixers
Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has been solid since his return from a 10-game absence due to a bone bruise in his left knee. He has had big games, but he has also had some tough games as he continues to work his way back into a rhythm.
He had 27 points and nine rebounds in Saturday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road and it was a solid game overall. He finished shooting 10-for-17 which is a solid night, but he is still missing some open shots that he normally would not miss.
Still, he had 21 points by halftime and he was still continuing to look like the MVP candidate. He is wearing a balky knee brace that is covered up by a lot of layers and that could be affecting him a bit.
“To get 21 by halftime, I was shocked by that,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I didn’t see that 21 which tells you how efficient he was being. I thought he did a great job of facilitating tonight as well. The brace bothers him, there’s no doubt about that. He’s gonna have to wear it for a couple more weeks I think, hopefully, less, but he’s getting through it, and he’s doing the best that he can.”
The knee brace is there to, obviously, protect him and make sure he is healthy going forward, but it is clear that it is bothering him. That would explain some of his struggles against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. He missed a lot of mid-range jumpers that he would normally make, but he could not get it done in that game and he struggled a bit again against the Thunder.
“It just feels like every shot that I take, I just have a hitch and it’s not a full motion or it’s not as smooth as it was in the past, even though the makes, when I make him,” Embiid explained. “I just got to get used to it and get back to where I was before.”
The big fella then explained that it is affecting his shot and the way that he shoots due to his lege getting tired. The brace is so tight around his knee and it is going to continue to be an issue, but he will just have to adjust for now.
“Everything,” he said. “When you have a brace cutting that blood flow and blood circulation on your legs, my legs get tired fast. It’s an adjustment, but it’s there to protect me so I just got to keep doing it.”
At this point, he just has to continue to shoot it. He is the engine that drives the machine in Philadelphia and they will not have the same success without him. He has got to be able to put this behind him and continue to push forward.
“The advice I always get is to keep shooting them,” he finished. “Miss or make, you got to keep taking them. Obviously, they haven’t been going in. A lot of it has to do with the brace and just getting back to myself.”
The Sixers will finish up the road trip on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks.
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