Joel Embiid
Getty
The Philadelphia 76ers were hit with a hefty fine for violating injury reporting rules again with Joel Embiid.
A quick stop in Michigan didn’t go the way the Philadelphia 76ers had hoped.
In a matchup against the first-seeded Detroit Pistons, the Sixers couldn’t view the matchup as a barometer game. They simply didn’t have the firepower to keep up.
The injury report beforehand made that obvious before the game tipped off. Once again, Joel Embiid headlined the report, which included several key players.
The Sixers anticipated Embiid’s absence against the Pistons as early as this week. He is wrapping up a one-week timeline before his next evaluation.
According to The Athletic’s Tony Jones, that evaluation is expected to happen on Friday.
Joel Embiid Gets Light Update Before The Reevaluation
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid shoots the ball. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Per the report, Embiid has been “working out.” However, that doesn’t mean on-court work. The report later included an educated guess that Embiid won’t “play this weekend.”
Tony Jones
Joel Embiid will undergo an evaluation tomorrow. He is working out. He has not started working out on the court
Joel Embiid last played for the Sixers on February 26. In a 31-minute shift against the Miami Heat, the star center suffered an oblique injury.
He finished that game with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. While he pushed through the pain that day, the star center would go on to miss the next three games, while he was considered day-to-day.
Ahead of the Sixers’ game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 7, Embiid was ruled out for an additional week. By missing Thursday’s action in Detroit, Embiid has been out for seven games in a row.
A Tough Sixers Season
Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid
GettyTyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid are dealing with injuries as the Philadelphia 76ers struggle in the Eastern Conference.
The season started on a positive note for the Sixers–especially on the Embiid front.
While there was a string of absences due to knee soreness in November, Embiid was consistently healthy throughout the next few months. Ahead of the All-Star break, injury luck fell apart.
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Embiid isn’t alone. Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre are out for an extended period of time.
Just days after learning that fact, the Sixers found themselves going into Detroit without a center. Johni Broome is recovering from surgery. Adem Bona was ruled out on Thursday morning due to a back issue, and Andre Drummond was out hours later for back spasms.
With a 35-31 record, the Sixers slipped to ninth in the Eastern Conference on Thursday. They desperately need a player of Embiid’s caliber to return to the court.
This season, Embiid has appeared in 33 games. Seeing the court for 31 minutes, the star center has produced 26.6 points per game, while shooting 49% from the field and knocking down 31% of his free throws.
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Beyond his scoring, Embiid has averaged 7.5 rebounds, along with 3.9 assists per game.
Nothing is guaranteed on the return front for Embiid just yet. Soon, the Sixers will get clarity on his availability for the Saturday afternoon matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.