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Joel Embiid Seen Working Out Before 76ers’ Loss vs Raptors

The Philadelphia 76ers center is ramping up.

Justin Grasso

Dec 22, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) controls the ball against the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Dec 22, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) controls the ball against the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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Joel Embiid took the court on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena to partake in a routine pregame workout. Everybody in attendance already knew the Philadelphia 76ers center was out for the night.

Before the Sixers reached the regular season opener on Wednesday, Embiid was ruled out for the first week of action. The slate included games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, and the Raptors.

Lately, Embiid’s absence has been viewed as a mystery, but the team has made it clear that no setbacks were experienced by the big man. The big plan of getting to the playoffs as healthy as possible includes missing the preseason and the first week of action.

Embiid is ramping up and working on making his season debut soon.

The Sixers haven’t been able to find success without the combination of Joel Embiid and Paul George just yet. In Wednesday’s game against Milwaukee, the Sixers couldn’t overcome the star power of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

A 124-109 loss was in store for the Sixers in Philadelphia. Friday night’s game against the Raptors on the road didn’t go much differently. Despite facing an undermanned rebuilding squad, the Sixers had another night filled with shooting struggles. They ended up falling short 115-107, beginning the year 0-2.

Last season, the Sixers struggled in the absence of Embiid, who played in just 39 games. This season, the Sixers are searching for the best balance of having Embiid available as much as possible during the regular season without risking setbacks before the playoffs.

There is hope Embiid is back next week, but he won’t be in the lineup for Sunday’s action against the Pacers.

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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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