Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will not play in tonight's contest against the Detroit Pistons, according to Serena Winters of NBC Sports Philadelphia:

Embiid played 23 minutes during Philly's opener against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, scoring 15 points and adding 13 rebounds and three blocks in a 14-point victory.

It is unclear if he sustained the ankle injury on Wednesday or if he has been harboring a bad ankle for some time. Embiid also had a dental procedure after he caught an elbow to the face from Jaylen Brown.

Injuries like this have led to the Sixers taking an extremely cautious approach with Embiid. He played an additional three minutes per game during the regular season, but subsequently complained that he was banged up during the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Toronto Raptors.

“Load management” has become a legitimate designation in the modern era, but the Sixers had actually hoped to start Embiid on both ends of back-to-backs this season.

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The 25-year-old from Cameroon is arguably the best center in the league when he is healthy. Embiid is extremely polished in the post, and he can step out to hit perimeter jumpers. Not to mention, Embiid is also a perennial candidate to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Similarly, the Sixers are only likely to go as far as Embiid can take them. Ben Simmons looked very impressive in the season opener, but Embiid's struggles against the Raptors were a major reason that Philly got bounced from the playoffs.

The Sixers are sure to be patient with their franchise center.