Nick Nurse
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Nick Nurse
Going into a Saturday night matchup on the road in Atlanta, Georgia, the Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for a couple of key absences. The status of the star rookie VJ Edgecombe is one that’s up in the air.
According to the Sixers’ official injury report, Edgecombe is dealing with a lumbar contusion. He is considered doubtful for the March 7 battle against the Atlanta Hawks.
Barring any sudden changes, it seems the Sixers are going to be down a third starter.
The Sixers’ Injury Concerns Keep Growing
Sixers star Joel Embiid
GettyJoel Embiid is on the Sixers’ injury report, alongside the rookie guard VJ Edgecombe.
A March 3 matchup against the San Antonio Spurs was the last time Edgecombe took the floor.
The rookie guard was in the game for 19 minutes before he took a hard foul in the first half. The Sixers would roll without Edgecombe for the remainder of the game, putting his future status in doubt.
When the Sixers returned to the court the following night for a battle agains the Utah Jazz, Edgecombe got the night off. Fortunately for the Sixers, they defeated the Jazz 106-102. They had two days of rest between the Jazz win and the Hawks matchup on Saturday, but it might not have been enough time for Edgecombe to recover to 100%.
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This season, Edgecombe has appeared in 57 games. He has just five absences on the year. The last time he missed consecutive games (three in a row) was during a late November stretch against the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and the Brooklyn Nets.
Edgecombe has been blessed with good health for most of his rookie season, but the same can’t be said about his 76ers teammates.
Fellow rookie Johni Broome is currently recovering from a knee injury, which required surgery recently. The veteran center Joel Embiid is actively recovering from an oblique strain, which is just one of several setbacks he is dealing with this year. When the Sixers offered an update on Embiid following Friday’s practice session, the team made it clear he’ll be out for the next week (four games).
Paul George isn’t injured, but the starting forward is serving a league-issued suspension. He won’t be eligible to return to the court until late March.
The Sixers Need Edgecombe
Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe during an NBA game.
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All things considered, the Sixers will need Edgecombe back in the mix as soon as possible. Knowing they are going on another extended stretch without Embiid, the rookie could be a major helping hand—or a major loss—during this critical time.
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Heading into Saturday’s action in Atlanta, the Sixers are potentially one loss away from falling in Play-In territory. With a 34-28 record, the Sixers are sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic are all within one game of the Sixers. Meanwhile, the Hawks are just 2.5 games behind Philadelphia.
The Sixers and the Hawks are set for a 6 PM ET tip on Saturday.