Joel Embiid’s Initial Injury Report Status for Sixers vs. Grizzlies

What's Joel Embiid's injury report status for the Philadelphia 76ers' matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies?

Feb 23, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The presence of Joel Embiid has given the Philadelphia 76ers a much-needed boost late in the 2023-2024 NBA season.

After spending months on the injury report due to a meniscus injury, which required surgery to correct, Embiid finally managed to make it back out on the court earlier this week.

Although he was initially ruled out against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, Embiid’s playing status was upgraded in controversial fashion, which led to the Sixers acquiring fines.

However, the team still benefitted from his services, as Embiid’s two-way play helped the Sixers lock in a win over one of the Western Conference’s top teams, the OKC Thunder.

After the Thunder matchup, Embiid mentioned that he would be taking his playing status moving forward game-by-game. His status would depend on how his body responds.

Heading into Thursday’s game against the Miami Heat, Embiid was once again questionable. Not only was he cleared for action against the Heat, but Embiid saw a slight increase in playing time. As expected, he looked much better than he did in his first game back.

Apr 4, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) passes the ball as / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Joel Embiid’s Injury Report Status vs. Grizzlies

The trend will continue on Saturday. Heading into another road matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sixers have Joel Embiid listed as questionable on the injury report.

There is a high chance the Sixers deem Embiid a game-time decision. Therefore, his shootaround and pregame warmups will be critical factors in his playing status. As long as his knee responds well, Embiid could see the floor for the third-straight game.

Before going down with the injury on January 30, Embiid was relevant in the NBA’s MVP race as he flashed consistent two-way dominance throughout the first stretch of the year. In 34 games, he averaged 35 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.

Since returning, Embiid has taken the court for an average of 31 minutes across two games. During that time, he averaged 27 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He’s still working on getting back to being the best version of himself, but as a team, the Sixers are undefeated since his return.

If all goes right, Embiid could be back on the floor to help the Sixers go for three wins in a row against the Grizzlies on Saturday.