Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand is optimistic center Joel Embiid will be ready for the playoffs.
Brand gave The Athletic's Michael Lee an update on Embiid's status on April 10:
Sixers GM Elton Brand on Joel Embiid, who has been dealing with a knee ailment & will end up missing 15 games since the All-Star break for load management: “I'm optimistic he'll be ready for this weekend.”
Reporter: Is there a chance that he won't be?
EB: “It's possible.”
Embiid has been dealing with tendinitis in his left knee. He told The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey on March 2 the Sixers are taking a long-term approach on the injury.
I'm just taking it day by day. It's getting better. It feels good. I started working out again. So it's all about making sure that it doesn't react and getting back in shape, because I get out of shape easily.
It's all about long-term preservation, making sure I'm ready. Not just for the playoffs, also for the next 15 years…We felt like it was better to preserve it, but it's getting better.
The third-seeded Sixers (51-31) will square off against the sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series.
The 25-year-old Embiid averaged 30.0 points, 14.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks in four regular season games against the Nets in 2018-19.
Philly needs Embiid, a two-time NBA All-Star, to heal up sooner than later. The Sixers need his gaudy numbers against an upstart Nets team. It should be an interesting battle between two young and hungry squads.
Game 1 of the series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets will commence this weekend.
The NBA will announce the official playoff schedule at the conclusion of the regular season on Wednesday.
Follow Us
Subscribe