Philadelphia could be receiving a huge boost to their lineup sooner rather than later as the latest reports indicate that Joel Embiid could be cleared for game action as soon as Tuesday.
Embiid has been sidelined since January 30th after undergoing meniscus surgery on his left knee. The 30 year old was originally injured when his knee collided with Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga two months prior.
Once battling it out for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia has struggled without their star big man, falling to 40-35 on the year and currently clinging onto the 8th spot in the East.
At the time of his injury, the reigning league MVP was averaging 35.3pts/11.3reb/5.7ast per contest while shooting .533 from the field and 36.6% from behind the arc. Those figures would have put Embiid in rarified company, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only player in league history to average at least a 35/10/5 stat line.
However, with only 34 games under his belt this season, any chances of taking home any major individual accolades are now out the window. Instead, the focus will be steadying the ship for a 76ers team which is 4-6 over their last 10 contests.
While the team has yet to provide an official timeline for his return, Embiid was spotted at the Sixers practice this week, and appeared to have no limitations on his participation. “That’s always a positive for the team, that you see him around,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “And they know he must be moving forward.”
Insiders believe that Embiid could potentially see game action when his team plays host to the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. However, if he fails to suit up for that one, it’s highly probable that fans will see the 7x All-Star return for Thursday’s pivotal clash with the Miami Heat.
Miami currently sits 1.5 games up on Philadelphia for the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.