Going into a Wednesday night game against the Detroit Pistons, the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report looks cleaner than before, as it suddenly doesn’t include Joel Embiid.
The team’s superstar center is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, which has kept him on the injury report for the past few outings.
Seeing Embiid pop up on the injury report during a set of back-to-back games is routine at this point. He’ll play one and sit the other—no big deal.
But when the Sixers approached their Monday night action against the Chicago Bulls, there was no game the previous night, and the one that followed is on Wednesday in Detroit. Still, Embiid was on the injury report. A minor, yet concerning, development.
When 76ers head coach Nick Nurse addressed Embiid’s setback, he stated that they are simply trying to manage his plantar fasciitis condition. The head coach proceeded to play Embiid for just 24 minutes amid a comfortable win over the Chicago Bulls.
After the game, Embiid addressed the setback himself. The veteran center stated that a minutes restriction prevented him from seeing the floor for more than 10 minutes in the second half.
“It’s been going on like that for the last few [games],” Embiid told reporters on Monday.
“It’s painful … But yeah, we’ve been able to manage it, but it has its ups and downs … You feel it on the court, so it certainly doesn’t help.”
Chicago was a one-win team. They were expected to be a breeze for a healthy Sixers team. The Pistons are a different story. At 7-1, the Sixers’ lone loss came to Wednesday night’s opponent. Embiid’s lack of presence on the injury report not only says he’s playing, but it might suggest that the restriction could be off if the game is tight.
Joel Embiid This Season So Far
In six games, Embiid’s efficiency and scoring is down.
The veteran center is shooting 40.7% from the field and has made just 13.0% of his threes, to produce 18.5 points per game. While Embiid’s scoring is off to a career-low pace, his rebounding is at its highest in three seasons, while playmaking looks sharp, and defense looks elite.
The 76ers have managed to win a game without Embiid, while securing a victory with him on a restriction, but the Pistons exposed his absence the last time out. He might not be the scoring champion version of himself, but Embiid remains a critical piece to the Sixers’ success.
Barring any unexpected changes, Embiid is set to face the Pistons at 7 PM ET on Wednesday.
