PHILADELPHIA -- As the Philadelphia 76ers were salting away a 126-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, it was peculiar to see Joel Embiid on the sidelines for a majority of the second half. The big fella played 8:09 in the third quarter and that was all she wrote as he reached 24:40 of playing time.
After the win, coach Nick Nurse revealed he was on a minutes restriction as he referred to the quote he made pregame, which can be read here, as the Sixers want to be careful with the plantar fascia that has been bothering him in his right foot. Embiid finished with 15 points and eight rebounds on the night.
"It’s been going on like that for the last few," Embiid said of his foot. "So yeah, it’s painful. Just got to manage it and when it flares
up pretty bad, got to take a step back. But yeah, we’ve been able to manage it, but it has its ups and downs."
The 2023 MVP winner has been battling through the bothersome injury. A plantar fascia issue has a tendency of just sticking around and it can really bother a player while out on the floor.
"You feel it on the court," Embiid acknowledged. "So, it certainly doesn’t help."
As far as adjusting to the new-look Sixers, it certainly has been a different feel for Embiid. After being the focal point of this group for so long, the big fella has had to take on a different role. His usage rate is not what it used to be as he's averaging 18.5 points and shooting 40.7% from the floor and just 3-for-23 from deep on the season. It's different for the big fella.
"For me, it’s a little bit of an adjustment," Embiid said succinctly. "I’m such a rhythm guy, and over the years, obviously, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to just touch the ball almost every other possession. And (now) sometimes you can just go four or five possessions in a row where you don’t touch the ball. So that’s where it’s kind of like an adjustment where I’m not used to catch-and-shoot as much. I’m used to more creating for myself, so I’m working on that."
Embiid is still a presence on the court. Teams still have to pay attention to him and give him the respect he deserves because he is still such a dominant force when given the chance. As he moves forward into the season, he understands he has a different role than in the past. He isn't the focus of Philadelphia's offensive attack anymore. This comes down to helping LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe get the job done.
"My mindset is really on whenever I have the ball, make plays," Embiid stated. "Make the game easy for all these guys. Making the right play over and over, setting screens, get Tyrese as open as much as possible, Bron, all these guys. Just kind of being a hub and trying to get these open and make plays for the group. That’s really been what the focus is on. And then, on the other side also, working on myself. How can I get back to that level of dominance, but without having as much touches as I’m used to?"
The good news is, the Sixers are winning. They're 7-1 and have found a way to succeed despite Embiid still adjusting to a much different role than he's used to. He is going to have to figure out how to make the most of his situation, but once he does, he feels confident that Philadelphia will then take off.
"That’s a work in progress," the big man finished. "And that’s where really the struggle has been because, like I said, I’m a rhythm guy. Like, I need to feel the ball. I need to touch the ball and when you don’t, it’s a little different. But you know, it’s a fun process and I’m enjoying it. Trying to find ways to, you know, get over the hump. And then when I feel like once I do and I figure it out and I can really be dominant, yeah, the sky’s the limit for us."
The Sixers will start a 3-game road trip against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Joel Embiid gives update on his foot, making adjustments for new 76ers
