Will Joel Embiid return to the Philadelphia 76ers this week?
As we come to the home stretch of the NBA’s regular season, the 76ers have received good news in that their star is set to return. Can it save the campaign?
Regardless of where you stand on Joel Embiid, the fact remains that he is by far the most important piece of the 76ers’ puzzle. With that in mind, the news that he is now set to return to the team following his injury can only be interpreted in one way: Good news.
Joel Embiid is set to play this week
Say what you like, but that’s big news. Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid is on the verge of returning from a knee injury, and what’s more, is that he could do so this week with the Sixers in the final stages of preparation for a postseason run. If you didn’t know, Embiid has been sidelined since January 30th with a left meniscus injury that required surgery. Be that as it may, reports now indicate that Embiid - the reigning MVP - could rejoin the Sixers as soon as this week, more specifically, Tuesday night’s game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
Understandably, this is big news for a team that is currently sitting in 8th position in the Eastern Conference and has blatantly fallen off since their best player was sidelined by injury. It should be said that there was some inclination that this would be the case after Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said last week that the team’s big man would be joining the group for the road trip albeit to work out, rather than to play. Nonetheless, that was still good news. That Nurse gave no timeline for Embiid’s return is immaterial at this point, especially when considering the idea that his rehab timeline seems to have moved at a much faster speed than first expected.
The devil is in the details when it comes to Joel Embiid
At this point, it remains unclear as to when exactly Embiid will return, but what we can assume are two things. Firstly, it will be soon and secondly, the Philadelphia 76ers need him back in the fold as soon as possible i.e., no expense will be spared when it comes to doing whatever it takes to get him back on the court as soon as possible.
After all, the playoffs are essentially upon us which is to say, there’s no time like the present. Regarding what’s on the table for the 76ers, the team will face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, followed by a clash with the Miami Heat on Thursday. Then, the Sixers will have two consecutive games (Saturday and Sunday) against the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs respectively. Regardless, what truly matters here is the Sixers’ current status and moreover, what it’s looked like in Embiid’s absence.
A record of 11-18 is what needs to be considered when taking a stance on the Sixers since Embiid has been out of the lineup. Yes, only two games indeed stand between Philly and the Indiana Pacers who are 6th in the conference, but unless they can close that gap right here and now, the only way they make it into the playoffs is via the Play-In Tournament. So, at this point we come back to the crux of the matter i.e., if Joel Embiid returns here and now and can play to the best of his ability, the 76ers will be a problem for anybody that faces them. If he doesn’t then expect the last two weeks of the regular season to be difficult - to say the least - for the Sixers. For perspective, the Sixers in their present situation will have to do battle in the Play-In Tournament. Should they make it past that, they would have to face either the top-seeded Boston Celtics or second-ranked Milwaukee Bucks. This is all to say, now would be a good time for Joel Embiid to return.