Joel Embiid hasn’t felt right for much of this postseason. He battled through gastroenteritis to play in Game 2 against the Raptors, and he simply did not look like himself in Game 4. The illness has put Embiid’s Game 5 status in question as well.
Embiid will have to focus on his conditioning, diet and overall health this offseason. Maybe invest in Purell and Emergen-C — I don’t know. We do know that the Sixers can’t afford for Embiid to get sick as often as he does, and nobody on the Sixers wants to get sick from Embiid.
Just ask Jimmy Butler.
During Tuesday’s media availability, Butler said that he had noticed Embiid’s illness and offered his support. He also took a relatable stance and admitted that he wanted Embiid to stay away from him.
It got better.
When a follow-up question asked Butler for more details about Embiid’s symptoms, the Sixers guard refused to offer his diagnosis in Jimmy Butler fashion.
The Sixers need to keep this man in Philadelphia at all costs — just on the basis of that quote.
Good on Butler for not providing a detailed assessment of his teammate’s symptoms. It was the right question for the reporter to ask, but the response was excellent.
As of Tuesday morning, Embiid was listed as probable.
