Former All-Star Offers Sound Advice to Injury-Prone MVP

“It’s hard to play with 300-plus pounds every night. That wear and tear is eventually going to get the best of you. If he can’t get his health under control at some point, it’s always going to be the same story that we’ve been talking about where he’s injured in the playoffs.

I want to see a 100 percent healthy Joel Embiid from start to finish in these playoffs. And I want to seem him dominate from start to finish. And I think it starts with his diet and just dropping some weight.”

The infamous Cousins only recently retired from the NBA after a storied career, and offers a unique perspective on the reigning MVP’s injury history.

Not was Cousins a highly successful player, he played a similar style as Embiid as a 270-pound center. With that said, Cousins was more durable than Embiid, but not by much. Knee injuries derailed the four-time All-Star’s career in the middle of his prime.

DeMarcus Cousins Offers Sound Advice to Joel Embiid

Embiid isn’t what anyone would call injury-averse.

Quite the opposite, as he’s never played 70 games or more in a season. Indeed, one of the reasons that Embiid may have gotten off to such a strong start is his injury history. By the time his rookie season began, he was two years removed from being drafted due to a stress fracture in his right foot. In that time, he was able to work on his preeminent face-up game, soak up knowledge from film and practices, and build his body.

Yet, while only playing in 433 of 811 possible regular season games, his poor health in the playoffs has become the real issue.

2018 NBA Playoffs

In 2018, Embiid missed two games due to an orbital fracture. The Sixers would still defeat the Miami Heat in the First Round but it was largely in spite of Embiid. The protective face mask he wore seemed to impact his efficiency, as he shot below 45 percent against both the Heat and the Boston Celtics. He made 48.3 percent of his field goals in the regular season.

2019 NBA Playoffs

In 2019, a sore left knee caused Embiid to miss the final 14 games of the regular season. The Sixers again made it to the second round of the ensuing playoffs. Yet once there, Embiid was underwhelming, shooting 37.0 percent from the field.

2022 NBA Playoffs

In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Embiid suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb. Though he played through the injury, Philadelphia was bounced out of the semifinal round again with Embiid faltering late. This time, he converted a meager 42.6 percent of his field goal attempts.

2023 NBA Playoffs

In the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Embiid played in nine of the Sixers’ 11 games due to an LCL sprain. He shot just 43.1 percent from the field, the second-lowest mark of his postseason career.

2024 NBA Playoffs

Now in 2024 NBA Playoffs, Embiid is limited by injury in what’s become an all too familiar situation. After undergoing surgery to repair a lateral meniscus injury he suffered on Jan. 30, Embiid returned shortly before the postseason. In Game 1, Embiid nearly re-injured his knee, landing hard after dunking in traffic.

To Cousins’ point, Embiid slimming down a bit should make it easier for him to stay on the court. Certainly, not all of his injuries have involved his lower extremities. However, there have been enough for Embiid to know he needs to make a serious change, whether he wants to maximize or prolong his career.

It Wasn’t Just Injuries

Through it all, Embiid has faced criticism for his shot-selection.

Where a player like Denver Nuggets point-center Nikola Jokic used his scoring gravity to work the ball to an open teammate, Embiid called his own number. His injury history is lengthy but that’s also been a significant factor in his paltry shooting performances. Indeed, Embiid has had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio in every postseason up to 2024 NBA Playoffs.

In the 2024 NBA Playoffs, he’s still taking plenty of ill-advised jumpers, even on a gimpy knee. While the confidence is admirable, the approach is somewhat foolish. He’s averaging 6.0 assists to 2.0 turnovers per game, but he needs to have more trust in his teammates.