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By Nelson Espinal
Contributing Sports Reporter
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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid made a fiery statement when asked about how his minutes restriction has been handled.
On Saturday, the Sixers faced the Charlotte Hornets, winning their home opener in the process, though Embiid was limited to only 20 minutes due to his knee injury.
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He scored 20 points during the game, showing renewed movement that looked much better than in the team's season opener against the Boston Celtics.
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Embiid has been battling chronic knee injuries, which resulted in him undergoing a meniscus repair in his left knee back in February of 2024, and then going through arthroscopic surgery a year later.
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The center played only 19 games last season, and to help keep him healthy, the organization has imposed a strict minutes restriction on Embiid.
In response to the limitation, Embiid made some pointed comments, voicing his frustrations with the handling of his playing time.
"I'd rather not minute restrictions, but I'd rather get it out of the way," Embiid said Saturday. "The longer I sit, the shorter stints, you don't get in a rhythm. You play two, three minutes, and you've got to get out. Two or three, up and down? That's literally nothing. I might as well just stay home and be with my family.
"Longer stints, you'll actually be able to let the game come to you. But then again, longer stints also means you might be done by halftime.
"But I can't sit for too long... being in shape is one thing, but being in basketball shape is another thing. You need to play, and you need to play a lot.I guess I trust them, and until I'm over it, I'm going to keep trying."
There is no specific timeline for Embiid's playing time increasing; instead, it seems the organization is taking an extremely patient approach.
For the time being, the player and team will need to find a way forward and optimize his limited time on the court.
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