Just when you thought the Philadelphia 76ers were about to turn a corner with the upcoming return of Joel Embiid, this team all of a sudden gets hit with some brutal injury news on the James Harden front. After being diagnosed with a foot strain, the Sixers will now be without their superstar point guard for a month.
This is an undeniably unwanted development for the Sixers, who have had a rough start to the new season. There's still some good news, though, with head coach Doc Rivers providing a bit of a silver lining amid Harden's latest injury woe (via NBA writer Tim Bontemps of ESPN):
Sixers coach Doc Rivers says James Harden’s injury actually was less severe than the team initially feared. “We just have to keep getting through the stuff we’ve gone through” to start the season.
While this is great to hear, this likely doesn't change the fact that Harden will still be sidelined for at least a month. It isn't guaranteed that he'll be back by then, and depending on how his rehab goes, it wouldn't be a complete shock if he's forced to miss more time. Injuries of this nature can be tricky, and this is compounded by the fact that at 33 years old, Harden is no spring chicken.
Another positive bit of news for the Sixers, though, is that Joel Embiid is now nearing his return. Last season's MVP runner-up missed Philly's last two games due to a non-COVID illness, but he has a chance to suit up on Friday against the New York Knicks. Obviously, the Sixers need him back badly.
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