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December 28, 2016

Embiid to sit out Jazz game, will play against Nuggets on Friday

With so many talented big men in the NBA, every game seems like a possible measuring stick for Joel Embiid. And with the Sixers facing back-to-back games over the next couple of days, the team isn’t deviating from the strategy that it has employed with its potential franchise big man in his rookie season.

Embiid will sit tomorrow night against Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz but he will suit up against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Friday. That also means we should see quite a bit more of Nerlens Noel during Thursday’s game in Utah.

With this decision, Embiid will have three days of rest on each side of the Nuggets game, which should in theory leave him plenty rested (or perhaps a bit rusty) when Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves come to town on January 3rd. 

In addition to Embiid, Gerald Henderson (hip pain) and Richaun Holmes (concussion protocol) won’t play against Utah.

And as for DeMarcus Cousins’ comments the other night, Embiid offered his rebuttal.


Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann

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