Joel Embiid Is Expected To Return This Week
The Sixers have been teasing us for weeks with the status of Joel Embiid. The big man has been out since January with a meniscus injury. Recently he returned to the court. Over the weekend, he traveled with the team, making some think he might play one of those games. That was not the case. But the wait won’t be much longer. This morning, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Embiid is expected to play this week.
It is much-needed good news. The Sixers have not been good without him. in fact, they have been pretty terrible. They went from the 3-seed, all the way down to the 8-seed. They are 14-27 (.341) without him on the court. With him, they were 26-8 (.764). That is the difference between the 2nd best record in the league and the 8th worst.
Joel Embiid Was Having The Best Season Of His Career
Before he got hurt, Embiid was having a historic season. He averaged over a point per minute. Only 1 other player in NBA history accomplished that, and it is Wilt Chamberlain. Embiid was the odds-on favorite to win his 2nd straight MVP. The Sixers operated like a well-oiled machine with him on the court.
Nick Nurse made it a point to get Embiid open shots. They didn’t just run a 2-man game like they have in the past. There was actual ball movement, and Embiid was getting easier shots than we have ever seen him get.
Once he got hurt though that all went away. Tyrese Maxey has done his best, but at times he has struggled with the weight of being the guy. It doesn’t help that few people behind him have stepped up to help him. Kelly Oubre has mostly done his part, but Tobias Harris has too often been a no-show. Meanwhile, several other key role players have battled injuries.
Can They Bounce Back?
If Embiid gets back and is even close to the level he was playing at, don’t count them out. As pointed out, this is a different team when Embiid is on the court. They have dug themselves a sizable hole. It feels likely they will be in the play-in. But get through that, and they can beat anyone. We saw it earlier in the season.
That banks on him being able to find that form though. He won’t have much time to do that. They have only 7 regular season games left. Joel Embiid will have to ramp up very quickly.
It is hope though. More hope than they have had since he first went down. They had high expectations in each of their 2nd round exits the past several years. Maybe going in with no expectations is the key to getting over that hurdle.
Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every Weekday
