The Sixers are clinging to the Eastern Conference's top seed by a thread. But they are in no rush to get Joel Embiid back in the lineup.

Embiid has not played since March 12th, when he suffered a deep bone bruise in his knee. The Sixers initially stated he would be re-evaluated in a couple weeks. However, Embiid could face a lengthier stay on the bench.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported the Sixers are keeping postseason play closely in mind when it comes to Embiid's status. Philly seems to be prioritizing his health for the playoffs rather than a run at the top seed in the East:

There is no established return date for the Philadelphia 76ers All-Star. The organization will be extremely cautious and wait patiently until he’s back to MVP form physically and mentally, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The objective is to make sure he’s 100 percent ready to go for the playoffs, sources said.

Embiid has been nothing short of dominant when healthy.

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The 27-year-old was averaging 29.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists through his first 31 games. But the numbers only explain so much.

Embiid was scoring efficiently at all three levels for the Sixers, dominating on the low block and showing comfort facing up against opposing bigs ore expanding to the three-point line. He has also been one of the top defensive players in the NBA, averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.

However, Ben Simmons and Co. could be without their star big for the foreseeable future. It has not been much of a problem lately, as the Sixers are 4-1 since Embiid went down.

Philly is banking on the strength of its team as Embiid heals.