Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid missed the team's scrimmage with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday due to an apparent calf injury.
However, it appears the Sixers might have held him out as a precautionary measure.
Both Embiid and Philly head coach Brett Brown said they do not expect the calf to be concern moving forward:
Sixers coach Brett Brown said that neither he nor Joel Embiid have concern about his right calf injury
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 26, 2020
It is not much of a surprise the Sixers are exhibiting caution with respect to Embiid's status.
The 26-year-old has dealt with injuries throughout his NBA career, and he had played in just 44 games prior to the suspension of play in March. Of course, Embiid is also a crucial component of Philly's success.
Embiid comes into the restart averaging 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists, helping add up to a 26.0 player efficiency rating. But he provides even more value on the defensive end of the floor.
Sixers opponents have a 111.8 offensive rating when Embiid is not on the floor, as opposed to a 105.1 rating when he is lurking in the paint, per Basketball-Reference.
Embiid is actually averaging a career-low 1.3 blocks per game, but he is one of the league's best deterrents around the rim and an exceptional weak-side defender.
The Sixers currently hold the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference, though they are just two games back of the fourth-seeded Miami Heat.
Needless to say, Embiid's health will be imperative for the Sixers both in terms of the eight seeding games as well as the team's ability to make a deep playoff run.
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