Joel Embiid has been out of action since January when he tore his meniscus in a game against the Warriors. ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne has revealed that Embiid isn’t any closer to a return with the 76ers hoping he can play the last week of the regular season to start getting in shape for a playoff run.
“He’s not anywhere close right now, but he is able to get on the court and do some light work here. The hope that they have in Philly is that they can just stay in the mix for Joel Embiid to come back the last week or so of the season, at least where he has a chance to get back some conditioning before the playoffs.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShH_eLZBbMQ
Embiid’s injury was controversial at the time, as a hampered Embiid was forcing himself to play games to remain eligible for MVP consideration. But after missing multiple games for rest earlier in the season, Embiid had little leeway in terms of the games he could miss to stay eligible. He started forcing himself to play injured, barely being able to run in the game where he tore his meniscus.
An immobile Embiid saw Jonathan Kuminga crash into his knee during a game and end his MVP hopes. He was averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists before the injury. The center who has never been past the second round will likely have to lead Philly through the play-in tournament to even earn a postseason berth.
The 76ers Haven’t Been Competitive Without Joel Embiid
With a loss to the Knicks tonight, the 76ers have gone 10-21 in the 31 games without Embiid this season. With the Pacers’ win over the Thunder tonight, the 76ers have fallen out of the top six, with even the Miami Heat on the path of leapfrogging them in the standings.
The likeliest outcome for the 76ers right now is they enter the postseason as the No. 8 seed and qualify to be a giant-killing low seed that faces either the Celtics or Bucks in the first round.
None of this matters if Embiid is unable to return, as Tyrese Maxey cannot lead the team alone. His numbers have been strong this season but he should be the No. 2 option behind Embiid instead of trying to run the team and also lead them to a winning record. He’s averaging 25.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists this season.
Embiid was proving why he was the MVP with his performances this season. The 76ers are 26-8 in games where Embiid was available. This form will make them confident that an Embiid return can save their season. But with an injury-prone center like him who’s been a playoff dropper even while healthy, it’s hard to see how they can put together a new rhythm with a healthy Embiid quickly enough for a playoff run.
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