If the Philadelphia 76ers are going to make any kind of postseason run out of the play-in — or avoid the play-in and make a run from sixth — they will need Joel Embiid back. The team is 8-13 since Embiid underwent surgery on his torn left lateral meniscus.
There remains no timeline for his return from the surgery but coach Nick Nurse sounded optimistic Embiid could be back before the playoffs start, speaking to the media Saturday, via Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“He did see the doctor last week,” Nurse said. “They’re happy with the progress. The whispers of him being on court I believe are true, but I haven’t seen any of it. We’ve been gone for a long time — just got back yesterday — and I haven’t seen him....
“I think it’s tricky,” Nurse said Saturday night... “I think there’s always stages of how these things progress. Everybody wants to know, ‘Well, how long is it going to be?’ And they give a pretty wide range of that because everybody heals differently. There’s things that go smoothly, there’s things that set back … there’s all kinds of stuff like that. So I think we’re just trying to take it as it comes, get him healthy — get him really healthy — and get him back when he’s ready to go.”
Nurse was then asked if he is confident Embiid will return this season.
“I’m still hoping so and pretty confident, yes,” Nurse said.
So are 76ers fans.
Embiid was again playing at an MVP level before the injury, averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists a game as well as playing elite rim-protecting defense. The 76ers have a -1.6 net rating this season when he is off the court but have looked like a playoff threat with him on it. Philly needs not just to get Embiid back on the court but to get MVP-level Embiid back if they are going to be a postseason threat.
