Joel Embiid took his conditioning seriously this offseason
Joel Embiid is making a concerted effort to trust the conditioning process.
The Philadelphia 76ers star told reporters Thursday that he really focused on his conditioning this offseason, per Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice. Embiid also said that he had his own chef, massage therapist, and several personal aides to help him get right.
Sixers coach Doc Rivers spoke glowingly about Embiid’s physical shape early in camp, saying that the All-Star big man was taking very few breaks.
Doc Rivers on Joel Embiid's conditioning: "We just went almost two and a half hours and Joel took very few breaks…We go from action to action to action. I want our players to feel that…The fact that he didn't feel the need to take a lot of breaks is a good sign for us."
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) December 6, 2020
The seven-foot Embiid, who is listed at 280 pounds, averaged 23.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game last season. The Sixers were swept in the first round of the playoffs but did not have Ben Simmons for that series due to injury.
Embiid, who was previously rumored to have a terrible diet, had worked on his conditioning in past offseasons by cutting down on sweet treats. This offseason though, he appears to be taking a more holistic approach to getting in better shape.
