Joel Embiid is back.
Embiid will pay through the “small lateral meniscus tear” suffered in the first round and start in Game 1 against Atlanta.
Joel Embiid will play and start Game 1, Sixers say.
— Noah Levick (@NoahLevick) June 6, 2021
The big fella is back and starting. pic.twitter.com/IOKcoRQgpy
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) June 6, 2021
Embiid sat out Game 5 against Washington (the Sixers still closed out the series).
The big question is how well he will move, and expect Trae Young and the Hawks to put that to the test early. Other big men have played through a meniscus injury in the playoffs but the history is not good, for example, Andrew Bynum in 2010. Eventually, the players do need surgery.
Having Embiid on the court is huge for the 76ers. They outscored their opponents by 12.4 points per 100 possessions this season with him but were basically even without him. In the first round against Washington, Philly was +33.4 when Embiid was on the court.