Getty Joel Embiid looks on during a Philadelphia 76ers game.
The Philadelphia 76ers have not officially announced whether center Joel Embiid will be ready for the start of their upcoming playoff series against the Boston Celtics, but the big man’s teammates seem optimistic.
Embiid missed Game 4 of Philadelphia’s opening-round win over the Brooklyn Nets with a knee injury. As The Associated Press noted, he had not yet practiced ahead of the team’s second-round series against the Celtics, and head coach Doc Rivers could not offer any new insight on April 27 as Embiid was being examined by team doctors.
“I’m just going to wait,” Rivers said, according to the AP. “They’ll call me later and we’ll see where he’s at.”
But Embiid’s teammates gave a more substantial update, offering hope that he would be on the court for Game 1 on May 1.
Optimism for Joel Embiid
Speaking to reporters after practice on April 27, Sixers guard Shake Milton said that Embiid has looked good and shared optimism that he would be back on the court in time for Game 1.
“He looks great,” Milton said, via USA Today’s Sixers Wire. “He comes in and he’s around and, I don’t know, I’ve seen him for five years. So I’m not really really worried about it. I know whenever Game 1 comes around and he’s available, I know he’s gonna dominate like he always does. With Jo, it’s nothing you really have to worry about. He’s getting his work in and he’s going to be prepared.”
ESPN Sources with @Ramonashelburne: An MRI revealed Sixers star Joel Embiid suffered a sprained right knee and will miss Game 4 vs. Brooklyn on Saturday. There’s optimism he could be ready to return as soon as early next week.
Sixers veteran Tobias Harris added that Embiid has been able to stay with teammates while rehabbing the injury and is in good spirits as he recovers.
“Jo is always great, man,” Harris. “He’s been good. We’ve been able to see him and just make sure that he’s progressing and whatnot. So yeah, other than that, he’s good.”
Sixers Face Looming Decision on Joel Embiid
Speaking to the Philly Voice, orthopedic surgeon Christopher Selgrath said the Sixers must decide whether to put Embiid on the court in Game 1 and risk further injuring the knee or hold him out until he’s in a safer position.
“You’re kind of looking at that and saying, hey, I think you’re probably going to be about 60-70 percent, and I think there’s a 50 percent chance you might tweak your knee,” said Selgrath, the chief of orthopedics at Nazareth Hospital and an orthopedic surgeon at Nazareth Orthopedics, but who is not treating Embiid. “Well then if we hold you out two games, which is in this case maybe 5-6 more days because of that scenario, now maybe your performance will be 90 percent, and I only think you have maybe a 5-10 percent chance you’re going to reinjure your knee. That’s what you’re sort of playing around with.”
Selgreth said there is no right answer, and it will come down to how Embiid and the Sixers feel about his condition.
“There’s no crystal ball, but that’s what’s in everyone’s head,” Selgreth said. “What’s his performance going to be, and what’s the likelihood he’s really going to really hurt his knee? There’s no great answer to that outside of taking it day by day, keep examining him, and see how he feels.”
Shake Milton: “I know whenever Game 1 comes around and he’s available, I know he’s gonna dominate like he always does. With Jo, it’s nothing you really have to worry about….” #Sixers t.co/K3NlRmzPNc via @SixersWire
The Sixers did catch a bit of a break thanks to the Atlanta Hawks, whose 119-117 win in Game 5 against the Celtics on April 25 pushed the series to six games. While Boston was able to close out on Thursday, it pushed the start of the Sixers-Celtics series to Monday, May 1, giving Embiid more time to heal.
Rivers said this extended Embiid’s hopes of being back on the court for Game 1.
“If we played on Saturday, I don’t know how realistic it would have been, so that’s a good thing,” Rivers said, via The Associated Press.