I’m optimistic. I’ve seen him, he’s doing everything in his power to be ready for this weekend. I was in Miami with him, we had a short meeting, he was on his way to Hydroworks which is an underwater treadmill. He’s working his butt off to be ready. He’s focused on his diet, he’s focused on his body, so I’m optimistic.
By Peter Gleason
So Sixers general manager Elton Brand dropped that bombshell on the media last night before the Sixers beat the Bulls.
The “him” is Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid whose balky left knee has kept him out of 10 games as the season ended.
Here’s what else Brand had to say on the subject:
He’s a hyper-competitive player, he wants to win everything, and it’s about how he presents.
We work with Joel with load management, how does he feel? How do you feel today? Can you go out there and what do you want to do?
So our athlete care and Joel work together side-by-side. So when he presents well, when he goes out there and he’s dominating with 30 points, 20 rebound type games, five blocks, and no ill effects, you keep going with it. That’s what he wants to do. He knows how important he is to the organization and his teammates.
No no, I’m optimistic that he’ll be ready this weekend and he’s doing everything he can to get back. But you know, of course, he’s the major key. We see the difference between when Joel is out there and when he’s not.
Again, I’m optimistic he’ll be ready this weekend.
Um, like I said I’m optimistic that he plays this weekend. But it’s a combination of how he feels. I think he’ll present well and he’ll be ready, but you don’t know.
