The return of Joel Embiid can’t come soon enough for the Philadelphia 76ers.
While the Sixers remain optimistic about Embiid’s chances of getting back on the court at some point before the regular season concludes, they haven’t had the opportunity to release a target return date to the public.
Leading up to Saturday night’s matchup between the Sixers and the Charlotte Hornets, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse had a positive update on Embiid. Still, he couldn’t add much beyond the idea that Embiid’s recovery is going well.
“He did see the doctor last week,” Nurse revealed. “They are happy with the progress. The whispers of him being on court, I believe are true, but I haven’t seen any of it. We’ve been gone for a long time. Just got back yesterday and I haven’t seen him.”
On Sunday, the Sixers returned to practice following a victory over the Hornets. For the first time since January, Embiid was a participant, according to Nurse.
“Joel was here today,” the head coach told reporters. “He was on the court.”
As far as what Embiid was able to do, the seven-time All-Star center was limited, as expected.
“He went through a little bit of the practice,” he added. “All non-contact stuff. He’s lifting weights right now.”
It’s apparent that Embiid’s return is still weeks away, at best. Several reports over the last week hinted that the earliest he could be back is during the final weeks of the regular season. Nurse and the Sixers have yet to confirm an official plan for his return.
“No timeline for his return,” the coach claimed.
In 33 games without Joel Embiid this season, the Sixers are 11-22. As of Sunday night, they hold a 37-30 record, which places them eighth in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Miami Heat. If the season ended today, the Sixers wouldn’t be guaranteed a playoff spot and would need to earn one through the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Right now, the Sixers have to focus on taking it game-by-game, and collecting victories any way they can while shorthanded.
If gaining the MVP-winning center’s presence before a potential playoff run is a realistic scenario, then Philly would be confident heading into another postseason run. Nothing is guaranteed at the moment, and a lot has to go right in the coming weeks in order for the Sixers to achieve their goals laid out in the offseason.
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