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76ers' Joel Embiid Could Miss Game vs Nets on Friday

Joel Embiid is on the injury report for 76ers-Nets.

Justin Grasso

Nov 19, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Nov 19, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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As the Philadelphia 76ers gear up for more NBA Cup action on Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets, they have added a key name to the injury report.

Joel Embiid is listed as questionable due to knee injury management.

When the Sixers released their initial injury report on Thursday night, Embiid’s name was not on it. Considering he’s consistently been back in action, it didn’t come as a surprise the Sixers weren’t kicking around the idea of potentially getting him rest.

It turns out that’s not the case.

The Sixers gathered for a routine shootaround session on Friday morning. Embiid was not a participant. Instead, the star center was a spectator, which added more concern about his playing status on Friday.

Heading into the 2024-2025 NBA season, Embiid and the Sixers made it clear they would prioritize more rest as the star center wants to avoid further injury issues at this stage in his career. Last season, Embiid appeared in fewer than 40 games during the regular season due to a meniscus injury.

As a result of his resting plan, Embiid missed the entire preseason, which spanned six games. When the regular season started, Embiid was listed as out for six games off the bat. He had to serve a three-game suspension, pushing his absence to nine games in a row.

Finally, on November 12, Embiid played against the New York Knicks. He checked in for 26 minutes, scoring 13 points on 18 percent shooting from the field. In the following game, Embiid collected his tenth absence of the season. He returned last Friday to face the Orlando Magic.

Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies marked Embiid’s third appearance in a row. He looked much better compared to his first three outings, as he scored 35 points and 11 rebounds on nearly 50 percent shooting from the field.

At this stage in the season, the Sixers carry a 2-12 record heading into their divisional matchup against Brooklyn. Not only could the Sixers miss Embiid, but they’ll be without Paul George, who suffered a bone bruise on Wednesday.

The Sixers and the Nets will tip at 7 PM ET.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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