With the NBA season rapidly approaching 2025-26, there is a bitter truth that Philadelphia 76ers top coach Nick Nurse must admit is true: needing Joel Embiid when he is on hand is a privilege; needing him day in and day out is a crutch. Analyst Marc J. Spears has advised Nurse to re-set the realities, moving the emphasis away an injury-prone marquee player and zeroing in on the dependable foundation of groundstroke players he has to work with.
A talent of Talent and Availability
Spears put Embiid in a more dire parallel to former No. 1 overall selection Greg Oden, whose career was stunted by injuries because of an unparalleled ability. The lesson was bleak: talent cannot be wasted by bodies that fail, and hope is not enough.
People have their bodies fail them, and it is terrible because you cannot count on them, no matter how talented they were. It is so–unfortunately, so–with Joel,” said Spears. So Nick Nurse, what do you do? You ride on your guard.”
Although nobody can propose that they trade Embiid, reducing the reliance on him can help take off the mental strain on the player and the team as a whole.
Training to Win without Its Most Important Part
The 76ers are deep in general, past Embiid. Spears mentions a deep bench of talented guards, namely Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Quentin Grimes, Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, and the rookie in V.J. Edgecombe. In the latter event, when mobility, spacing, and shooting could be the more sustainable benefits, he suggests engaging in the idea of three-guard lineups as a reasonable pivot.
Such a switch is not an exception. Throughout the league, coaches have taken advantage of high-activity guard-heavy rotations with bigs out to stress versatility in the contemporary NBA scheme.
Historical Echoes: The Evolution of NBA Strategy
NBA today prefers all-dimensionality. Earlier generations adored the big men giants such as Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon, and even they had to contend with injury and sometimes miss out on games. Sha,q being an example, would create havoc when fit, yet most of the time is unable or absent.
Joel Embiid is a former MVP (202223), who is supremely talented, but injuries have been a problem for him. In 202425, he played in only 19 games, and his current knee pathology casts doubt on his longevity. So, head coach Nurse has stated that Embiid is in a healthy position to play and play to his full capabilities, though he warned that training camp is anything but ready.
A Tradition of Cumulative Discontents
The record of the Philadelphia in the 2014/2015 season was actually the first victim of the situation of instability: injuries, rotation in and out of the lineup, and minimal depth. The nurse had to resort to 40 various players to simply complete the season, and yet to miss the playoffs as well since 2017.
As the well-being of both Embiid and Paul George is in doubt, the lesson, as every team knows, is that sustainable success begins with reliability. As one more-hopeful source laid out: in a worst-case scenario, a worst-2 no both stars scenario, the backcourt and young talent could put Philly in play-in consideration, particularly in an Eastern Conference weakened due to injuries.
An Uncertain Anchor: the Emotional Cost.
There is more to Xs and Os to this story; this story is very human. Embiid has also had to endure systemic disappointments and personal agony, historic injuries, knee surgeries, and the accumulating doubts in the minds of a collective people about the sustenance of his body. There is also the indication that he is even contemplating that his career is slowing down.
The pressure cannot be described. The recommendation of an analyst that an organization plays with less reliance on Embiid is not only a tactical but also a protective option that keeps the player less strained over the passage of time (both wear and hurt).
Charting the Way Forward: Nurse’s Dilemma and Opportunity
Nick Nurse, an NBA-winning coach with the Raptors (2019), finds himself at a crossroads. He could double down on Embiid, betting on flashes of dominance. Or he could lean into flexibility, allowing young wings, guards, and ball movement to carry the offensive load.
Both paths carry risk:
- Relying on Embiid may produce peak performance on rare nights—but increases volatility.
Embracing guard rotations can build culture, consistency, and prevent the team from collapsing when stars sit.
