Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has yet to suit up for the Sixers since after the All-Star break. The 24-year-old has been nursing a sore left knee and has missed his team's past four games, but appears to be nearing a return.

The Sixers have been playing well despite the absence of their superstar, and according to head coach Brett Brown, Embiid's injury has actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the team. This is via Royce Young of ESPN.

The Sixers are figuring it out as they go — “cramming for an exam,” as Brown put it — as they try to get a handle on who they are with the postseason nearing. Embiid will be back soon, though he's out for Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors, Brown said. But playing without him gives the Sixers an opportunity to smooth the edges. Brown is hammering home an unselfish mindset, one that involves all the weapons the Sixers have as much as possible.

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Following the acquisition of Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the trade deadline, the Sixers formed arguably the second-best starting five in the league, second only to the defending champs, the Golden State Warriors. However, having so much star power in a single team has been a bit of an issue for Philadelphia, with coach Brown admitting that the team have yet to fully figure it out.

Nonetheless, this appears to be a good problem to have for the Sixers. They also have a firm grip on the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 40-22 record, so the team does have a bit of room for error as they try to smooth the edges before playoff time.