Recently, the Philadelphia 76ers got some tough news when it was announced that big man Joel Embiid would be sidelined due to an oblique strain. The injury occurred during a recent home win over the Miami Heat, and came about just as Embiid was returning from a recent shin ailment that caused him to miss time after the All-Star break.
Now, Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes has shed more light on what the timetable might look like for Embiid's recovery.
“New Joel Embiid Injury Update: Oblique strains are far more common in sports like baseball but do occur in the NBA. NBA players to suffer the injury include Desmond Bane & Dame Lillard. In the NBA, the average time lost for in-season oblique strains is 4.2 game (~11.6 days),” reported Stotts on X, formerly Twitter.
Injuries have been a major part of Embiid's career, having deralied both his 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons since his MVP campaign in 2022-23. He has been in and out of the lineup all year for the 76ers this season as he tries to manage his chronic knee issues.
Meanwhile, the 76ers are still awaiting the return of Paul George, who is currently serving a suspension for violating the league's banned substance policy.
The 76ers have done a solid job of holding down the fort in the absence of their two stars, with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe forming one of the most explosive backcourts in the NBA. The 76ers currently sit at 33-26 on the season, and occupy the number six seed in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games back of the Toronto Raptors. Philadelphia would take on the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs in a rematch of their 2024 matchup if the postseason started today.
In any case, the 76ers will next take the floor on Sunday evening on the road vs the Boston Celtics.
