Boston Celtic’s superstar Jaylen Brown wasn’t available for their last game in the loss to Cleveland cavaliers on December 2 due to illness. In his postgame interview after their victory over the Miami Heat, Brown talked about how important it was for him to set the tone for his team by showing that he was willing to play through adversities.
Jaylen Brown also added during the postgame conference about the difficulty of teams to be great with some of their best players never playing back-to-back games. In recent seasons, there has been a massive increase in player’s workload, which has led to reduced playing time for star players in the league.
Back-to-backs are tough to get your body, your mind, everything ready depending on the flights, extent of the injuries but as you are looking to do something special, those are the moments you gotta kinda accept. It’s hard for teams to be great if some of their best players never play back-to-backs.
Jaylen Brown said
“It’s hard for teams to be great if some of your best players don’t play back-to-backs.”
Jaylen Brown when asked about the load of consecutive games in the NBA 🗣️
🎥 via @danield1214 pic.twitter.com/WxUqoKoL6Q
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 3, 2024
Brown made a valid point after his impressive performance against the Miami Heat, scoring 29 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out 4 assists. Brown emphasized the importance of consistency from star players in order for teams to achieve greatness.
Unfortunately, several top players in the league have struggled with consistency due to injuries and other absences. Notable examples include Joel Embiid, who has missed significant time due to injuries. His teams’ inability to have him in the lineup consistently has hindered their chances of achieving greatness.
Joel Embiid limited playing time, a huge concern for the Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid earlier this season, in an interview with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, announced that he will no longer play back-to-back games for the remainder of his career. This decision comes as no surprise, given Embiid’s history of injuries and missed games.
The Philadelphia 76ers center has struggled with various health issues throughout his career, which has led to him missing significant time on the court, playing only 4 games so far this season
If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career.
Joel Embiid told Tim Bontemps
By avoiding back-to-back games, Embiid hopes to reduce his risk of injury and maintain his overall health. This decision may impact the 76ers’ lineup and rotation, but it is likely a necessary step for Embiid to take in order to prolong his career.
The 2024-25 NBA season began with high expectations for the Philadelphia 76ers, who were considered serious title contenders. However, with the combination of injuries to key players, including Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the team’s performance has fallen far short of those expectations with a 4-14 record, leaving the 76ers at the bottom of the eastern conference in 14th place.
