Celtics Rival Reportedly Under Investigation For Injury Management Plan

Everything went well for the Boston Celtics to begin their 2024-25 run on Opening Night, but the same can’t be said for their Eastern Conference rival Philadelphia 76ers.

Philadelphia’s biggest stars Paul George (knee), who signed a $212 million contract with the Sixers this past offseason in free agency, and Joel Embiid (knee) weren’t healthy enough to suit up for Wednesday’s season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. Embiid is set to miss Philadelphia’s first three games of the year due to injury management, which is prompting the NBA to launch an investigation, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Embiid, last season’s reigning league MVP, was limited to just 39 games due to knee injuries during the 2023-24 campaign. He averaged 34.7 points with 11 rebounds and 5.6 assists, but once it came time to face the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, although present, Embiid wasn’t fully healthy. When it came time to join Team USA for the Olympic Games in Paris, Embiid managed to play six games (five starts) while averaging 11.2 points and 3.8 rebounds, helping the star-studded squad finish in gold medal fashion.

“If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career,” Embiid told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps earlier this month.

The plan behind Philadelphia’s load management scheme is simple: keep Embiid fresh for the playoffs. It’s become a constant challenge for Embiid to be ready to go in time for the playoffs and with teams like the Celtics, Bucks, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers eager to contend, the Sixers can quickly find themselves left in the dust. Philadelphia’s front office invested a lot to add George, a nine-time All-Star, and to retain guard Tyrese Maxey — on a $204 million extension. Therefore, contending from start to finish is critical for the organization.

Boston kicked off its title defense without Kristaps Porzingis, who’s expected to miss the season’s first few months, by crushing the new-look Knicks. Milwaukee has its star Giannis Antetokounmpo back alongside Damian Lillard. Indiana, after falling short in the conference finals, is seeking its latest stride led by Tyrese Haliburton — last year’s NBA assists leader (10.9). It’ll be difficult enough for head coach Nick Nurse to work without Embiid — possibly for half the season — but to get a new-look crew acclimated, that creates an even greater challenge for Philadelphia to avoid disappointment — again.

“Listen, I don’t have any thoughts on (the investigation),” Nurse told reporters Wednesday, per CBS Philadelphia. “Nobody from our organization has said anything to me about that. So, as far as the investigation, I don’t really know.”

The Sixers started 13-year veteran Andre Drummond in place of Embiid on Opening Night.