Doc Rivers Drops BIG Hint That Joel Embiid Could Be Back By Week’s End
Tell me Joel Embiid is about to be cleared to play, without actually telling me Joel Embiid is about to be cleared to play:
Rivers also just hinted at a Saturday return for Embiid — says they will likely be back to "their normal rotation" after the next two games https://t.co/mLskb5ZIpI
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) March 29, 2021
It’s been over two weeks since Joel Embiid went up for a dunk and landed in such a way it felt like the Earth stood still. After avoiding the worst case scenario of a Carson Wentz 2017 lost season, Embiid was still slated to miss time.
Last Friday, a day before the Sixers took on the Clippers marked the two-week point and designated re-evaluation point for Embiid’s injury.
With the Sixers in the midst of a six game road trip, it always made sense for Embiid to rejoin the team after the trip if he was progressing properly. Despite at that time it being three weeks since the injury instead of two, it makes little sense to ship him out to Denver or Cleveland as they wrap this trip up. Looking back at the schedule at the time of the injury, this duration of missed time seemed to be the most logical path for Embiid’s return. So, expect the reinforcements in Embiid and new teammate George Hill to be waiting once the Sixers touch down back in Philly.
As for the Sixers as they are currently constructed, they have been playing nearly Center-less basketball since the trade deadline. Tony Bradley (legend) was apart of the trade that landed Hill for the Sixers, and Dwight Howard has been ejected in back to back games. Mike Scott has been serving as their undersized 5 man. Tonight, the team takes on Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets so even in this area of positionless basketball, the Sixers sit at a disadvantage.
Like the boat in the Suez Canal, they have been steady and haven’t given up any ground, since the Embiid injury. Time to see if they can bring it home as they wrap up this road trip.