By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Before guiding the Milwaukee Bucks against his former team in Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday, Doc Rivers was asked about Joel Embiid and the performance of the 31-year-old center with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season.
“I was telling a very, very, very Hall of Fame player that I coached, that Joel’s the most talented player that I ever coached,” he revealed during a pregame press conference. “And he was like, ‘What?’. And I was like, ‘He is’.”
“The things you guys see and then the things you actually don’t see in practice, sometimes that he can do. It’s incredible. It really is,” he added.
An NBA play-caller since 1999, the 64-year-old expert has worked with a plethora of superstars, including the current leader of the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, he still wonders how different his spell with the Sixers would be if Embiid was available in more games.
“Unfortunately for me, I never had him healthy once in the Playoffs. He wasn’t healthy last year, and he wasn’t the year before. That’s five years straight, I think. And if he ever gets to the Playoffs healthy, especially with they’ve added some big pieces here, they are going to be a dangerous team, but it’s always going to come down to that. And, nothing’s changed,” furthered Rivers.
The Most Valuable Player of the 2022-23 season has been limited to 59 postseason appearances throughout his career. Playing under Rivers, he indeed faced several serious injuries, with the pattern extending to the majority of his professional career.
Meanwhile, the Greek Freak is currently sidelined indefinitely with a right calf strain. Dealing with several setbacks this season has not helped the ongoing postseason bid of the Bucks, besides limiting him to 30 games played with 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks per contest.
Falling to 18-27 after a losing effort opposite the Sixers increased the distance from the Play-In zone of the Eastern Conference to 3.5 games. At 25-21, the 76ers rank sixth, with Embiid logging 26 appearances for 25.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.6 steals per contest.
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