The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center for their upcoming matchup on Wednesday. The 76ers are coming off a five-game win streak and will be hopeful about their chances to extend their streak. While last placed in East, Detroit shouldn’t pose serious problems for the 76ers, the Philadelphia side might be without their franchise player, Joel Embiid for the upcoming match-up.
Advertisement
Per the official injury report, Embiid has been marked as ‘Questionable’ for the 76ers upcoming matchup against the Pistons. The pre-game injury report points to Embiid having left knee issues, probably a result of his meniscus procedure. The big man went down with a meniscus injury in January, while playing against the Warriors at Chase Center. Unfortunately for the 76ers, he would be sidelined for the majority of the remaining season.
Embiid made his return last week against the Thunder. In his first game back, he checked in for 29 minutes. He knocked down six of his 14 shots from the field and went 12-12 from the free-throw line. The big man produced 24 points in the four-point win over the Thunder.
Since Embiid’s return, the 76ers have gone 4-4, even after he missed their last game against the Spurs. Even though he dominated against the Grizzlies on Sunday, even leaving the contest early, the 76’ers medical staff sat Embiid down against Wembanyama and the Spurs, mostly due to injury and resting protocols.
The 76ers need Embiid healthy
Grounding Embiid versus the Spurs was definitely a smart decision by Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse. He is currently coming off a serious meniscus injury, and stressing a return could make things worse for the reigning MVP. Gradually increasing his minutes with brief rest periods should allow him to regain complete health by the time the playoffs kick in.
While Philadelphia is following protocol with Embiid, the remaining 76ers cast will have to work exceedingly hard to ensure that Embiid has something to play for. The 76ers are currently 7th in the Western Conference standings, boasting a record of 44 and 35. With just three regular-season games left, Philadelphia will have to secure all three games to even have a shot at making the playoffs, with the Play-In tournament looking like the more realistic option for the Philadelphia side.
