South Philadelphia will witness the return of Paul George for the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, March 25.
What about Joel Embiid?
All signs are pointing to the Sixers potentially getting two massive upgrades against the struggling Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
*UPDATE at 6:30 PM ET: Joel Embiid has been upgraded to AVAILABLE and is starting against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
On Wednesday afternoon, PhillyVoice’s Sixers insider Adam Aaronson offered a prediction that Sixers fans surely want to hear via 97.5 The Fanatic:
“I do think [Embiid] will be back tonight. I don’t think it’s too challenging to come up with the conclusion that he probably could’ve come back on Monday, but the 76ers would’ve went from significant underdogs to significant underdogs if he played against Oklahoma City, with all the guys that they had out elsewhere. They have two huge games coming up after tonight’s game against Chicago, and it might’ve made a little bit more sense to give him a couple extra days.”
“I do think [Embiid] will be back tonight. I don’t think it’s too challenging to come up with the conclusion that he probably could’ve come back on Monday, but the 76ers
What’s Joel Embiid’s Injury Report Status For 76ers-Bulls?
The Sixers listed Joel Embiid as questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Bulls.
Lately, the star center has been dealing with an oblique strain. He hasn’t stepped foot on the court since the February 26 matchup against the Miami Heat.
At the time, Embiid was working his way back from knee and shin concerns. Following a February 7 game against the Phoenix Suns, Embiid missed five games in a row. His recovery period included the NBA’s All-Star break.
When Embiid returned to the court on February 24, against the Indiana Pacers, he played for 26 minutes. In the following game against Miami, Embiid clocked in for 31 minutes.
Since then, Embiid has missed 13 games for Philadelphia.
The 76ers’ Injury Report Is Still Crowded
Although Embiid’s presence was a major setback for the Sixers, he’s not the only prominent player who has been absent.
When Paul George returns on Wednesday, it will mark his first appearance in 25 games. George violated the NBA’s anti-drug policy, which prevented him from playing in every game since January 31.
The two-time All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey is dealing with a hand injury. His last game was on March 7, when the Sixers paid a visit to the Atlanta Hawks.
Since then, Maxey has missed nine games in a row. He will be out for his 10th on Wednesday. Kelly Oubre is another rotational player who is out for an extended period. As he deals with an elbow sprain, Oubre is coming up on missing his eighth game in a row.
Lastly, the Sixers are unsure about the availability of Quentin Grimes on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Grimes was downgraded on the injury report due to an illness. He missed the OKC Thunder matchup, but showed signs of being on pace to return on Wednesday, as he was on the court for the morning shootaround.