The Philadelphia 76ers are still anticipating the return of Joel Embiid as they fight to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Sixers aren’t in danger of falling out of the playoff picture but are trying to retain a favorable spot in the standings while the superstar big man recovers from an injury to his left meniscus.
Embiid has missed 19 straight games now and is still slated to miss more time. While there has not yet been an official update on Embiid since he underwent his successful procedure in early February, his return is estimated to be some point in the final week of the regular season, which is just under a month away.
According to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Embiid is on track to return in early April before the playoffs begin. Previously, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne said on NBA Today that Embiid is “not anywhere close right now to coming back” and that “the hope that they have in Philly is that they can just stay in the mix for Joel Embiid to come back the last week or so of the season — at least where he has a chance to get back some conditioning before the playoffs.”
When asked about Embiid ahead of the 76ers' last game, head coach Nick Nurse didn’t offer any update on his return timeline but did point to Embiid getting on-court workouts in, which Shelburne also mentioned. Embiid said in early March that he still plans to make a return this season.
Asked if there’s any update on Joel Embiid's return, Nick Nurse didn’t have anything new to share but he did mention that Embiid is doing work on the court
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) March 12, 2024
Embiid has stayed around the 76ers as he goes through his rehab, appearing at home games and providing vocal leadership to teammates. Philly, currently the sixth seed in the East, has a record of 10-21 in its games without the reigning MVP this season and a 26-8 record with him.
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