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The news keeps getting better and better for Joel Embiid. The Sixers’ big man could be coming to a basketball court near you.
On Thursday night, the Sixers’ big man was chosen to his third consecutive All-Star team. Embiid’s selection marked the first time a Sixers player had achieved that feat since Allen Iverson did it seven straight times.
Embiid was voted in as the starting center for the Eastern Conference for the Feb. 16 game. Whether or not he actually plays is a different story. He did receive good news on the injury front on Friday afternoon, though.
The 7-footer went through his first full practice since dislocating his left ring finger on Jan. 6 and he’ll be re-assessed on Monday, per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Serena Winters.
Embiid participated in contact drills and even got some shots up during the team’s practice. There had been increasing hope he could suit up on Saturday versus the Lakers but that doesn’t appear to be an accurate timeline.
Embiid Will Wear Cast Upon His Return to Sixers
Playing with a dislocated finger will be a challenge for Joel Embiid but one he is certainly capable of overcoming. Remember, the Sixers center played with a mask a few years back in the playoffs and still dominated.
According to Philly Voice’s Rich Hofmann, Embiid will be forced to wear a cast when he returns to the floor. The gregarious big man told reporters that he’s not concerned with his All-Star selection right now. The Sixers remain in sixth-place in the Eastern Conference and Embiid knows they need to climb up the standings to reach the goals they set for themselves.
Embiid was originally estimated to miss four to eight weeks at the time of the injury, per Dr. Eric Strauss. (It should be noted Strauss’ numbers were estimates and he didn’t examine Embiid).
“In a professional athlete, four to eight weeks would be the range where you would start looking for him on the court, I would say as a guess,” Strauss told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “But I think the surgeon at the time will be able to tell better after he’s fixed it, how long it would be.”
Ben Simmons Could Make All-Star Roster as Reserve
Sixers guard Ben Simmons wasn’t voted in as an All-Star starter. Don’t fret. Simmons is still very much in play to make the team.
The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week was ranked fourth among qualifying guards by his peers and third by the media. All trending up there. However, Simmons registered a lowly eighth by in fan voting and he is far from a lock to make the squad as a reserve.
Simmons is averaging 16 points in 31.6 minutes per game while posting four triple-doubles. In addition, the 2018 Rookie of the Year has registered a league-high 2.2 steals per game, along with 7.8 total rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. Stay tuned to see where Simmons ends up.
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