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The Philadelphia 76ers were hit with a hefty fine for violating injury reporting rules again with Joel Embiid.
The injury woes of Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid continue to hurt him just one game after the All-Star break. Embiid sat out the last two games before the time off due to right knee injury management, but he is apparently dealing with a new injury now. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports that Embiid will miss at least one game thanks to a shin issue bothering him.
Embiid is ruled out for Thursday’s first game after the All-Star break against the Atlanta Hawks. Philadelphia will rely on the dynamic backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to make up for the absences of Embiid and Paul George. The drug violation suspension for George will see him out until the end of March. Maxey will have the superstar duty of leading a limited roster against a solid Hawks team.
Bontemps stated that Embiid will get re-evaluated after Thursday’s game and ahead of this weekend’s back-to-back slate of games. Even if he’s cleared to play, Embiid is most likely missing one of those two games since the team already prevents him from playing most back to backs for general injury management.
Optimistic News For Joel Embiid Fans
The report only requiring one game out before getting re-evaluated should be taken as positive news in the bigger picture. Embiid missing games every now and then is to be expected for a player with his injury history. The fear is when he’s ruled out for multiple weeks with an injury potentially ruining the rest of the season.
Embiid only missing this game or even just being ruled out through the weekend would be a best-case scenario for Philadelphia. If he’s back on the court soon and playing effective basketball, the 76ers will benefit from having one of the most talented centers in NBA history on the roster.
The 76ers currently are in an interesting position within the Eastern Conference rankings. Philadelphia will likely be outside of the top four and will be forced to pull off an upset for playoff success. However, they have been good enough to stay above the play-in and are trending towards one of the guaranteed playoff spots.
Negative News For Joel Embiid Fans
The negative side of this report is that Embiid is still dealing with multiple injury issues that won’t just magically disappear for good. George’s time off the court puts greater pressure on Philly’s best players to step up and make up for his absence.
Embiid has recently been playing strong basketball and has looked healthier throughout January into early February. Unfortunately, the injury management added more doubt since he sat out the final two games before the All-Star break. Another injury getting added to the report is not a good sign that he’ll continue the relatively healthy season.
If the injuries get worse once he tries to play, that could ruin the entire season. The 76ers need a healthy Embiid, Maxey, George, and Edgecombe combination to threaten the higher seeds in the Eastern Conference. Embiid’s return to the court and production is worth paying attention after missing at least one game.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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