Joel Embiid could return to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.
both ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic's Shams Charania Embiid is incredibly close to a return, which could happen on Tuesday night when the 76ers host the Thunder (Both Newsbreakers reported this means that barring a setback, it could happen) (This is a sign of what will happen.) If not, it will be next week. That would be before the end of the regular season, in time for Embiid to get ready for the playoffs against the 76ers.
76ers coach Nick Nurse said last week. He thought Embiid would return during the regular season.
Embiid has been out since February 1st after undergoing surgery for a torn left lateral meniscus. Before that, he had an MVP-level season, averaging 35.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Embiid was on track to join Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to average more than one point per minute played. (Embiid currently has missed too many games to qualify for the postseason award under the NBA's new 65-game rule, but he missed so many games that there was no rule. (He also missed games.) Too many games to qualify as league leading scorer, but from now on, Luka Doncic would have been left out of the MVP category in the minds of voters. (He would score 34 points).
Since Embiid's exit, Philadelphia has fallen to 11-18, the No. 8 seed in the East, and will almost certainly need to advance through the play-in tournament to advance to the postseason (probably the Celtics or Bucks). ) in the first round). The 76ers are 1.5 games behind the Heat as the seventh seed (two games behind them in the loss column) and two games behind the sixth-seeded Pacers (Indiana has a tiebreaker). There is too much ground to make up Indy with seven games remaining.
Philadelphia will advance from the play-in, but Boston and Milwaukee don't want to see a healthy Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and the rest of the 76ers in the first round.
