NBA Insider Discusses Hope Surrounding Joel Embiid's Return
It's been close to a month since Joel Embiid left the Philadelphia 76ers' match against the Golden State Warriors after Jonathan Kuminga fell on his knee while going after a loose ball.
In the days following the match, it was announced that Embiid had sustained an injury to the lateral meniscus in his left knee, which would cause the Cameroonian superstar to undergo corrective surgery, that would be revaluated in four weeks.
While the team has yet to release update regarding the progress of Embiid's recovery, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski stated that there is optimism surrounding a potential return to the court for the reigning MVP, which would be towards the end of the season.
"They still are optimistic that they [76ers] can get him back," said Wojnarowski, "I think there's some hope that they can get him back on the court by sometime in late March back starting to get into condition..."
A return at any point would be a blessing for Nick Nurse and the Sixers, as they've struggled without the Cameroonian superstar, posting a 4-7 record in the 11 games following his injury, which has seen them plummet to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Yet, Wojnarowski feels that the rush to get him back on the court isn't about salvaging their spot in the standings, but rather prepping him for the intensity of playoff basketball.
"The goal here isn't necessarily to try to bring him back and see how many regular season games you can win with him," stated Wojnarowski, "the goal is to get him as healthy he can be for the post season, hope they can hang in where they are, and then have as spry, mobile, and conditioned of a Joel Embiid for what could be a play-in game, a seventh seed or at five or six."
As things stand, Philadelphia currently has a one game cushion at the fifth spot, with the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers, both teams who have been on solid runs of form, only trailing by one game.
It's safe to say that the Sixers would be appreciative of Embiid's return at any point, with Wojnarowski feeling that there's roughly a week left before there is any update regarding a timeline for his return.
"Probably a week away from getting an update on a time line with him," explained Wojnarowski, "but I think there is optimism in Philly that we will see Joel Embiid again this season."
