The Philadelphia 76ers will miss their All-Star center Joel Embiid as he suffered an orbital injury during Game 6 of round one against the Toronto Raptors. After missing Game 1 and 2 in Miami, Embiid was listed out indefinitely before Game 3 in Philadelphia on Friday.
The 76ers coach Doc Rivers said on Tuesday that Embiid is doing well. However, in the post-match press meet after Game 2, he was cautious enough not to give any false hope to the fans that may lead to disappointment. According to the coach, Embiid has too many steps to clear before seeing him in action for the 76ers.
However, the team and fans from various corners of the NBA fandom look positive enough about his return as reports did not mention surgery. Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN believes Embiid’s condition and availability could change sooner than expected. However, he might have to miss out on a few games between round 2 and the tip-off. Furthermore, the player himself seems eager to play through the injury.
But a report from Chris Haynes from TNT claims that the player is still recovering as even the cell phone brightness seems to bother his eyes in his current state. The NBA star also needs to pass the concussion protocol to return to the court once again.
The All-Star center is not new to injuries throughout the years. Embiid also suffered a left orbital injury during the 2017-18 season when surgery was required. So, he had to stay off the court for nearly three weeks missing regular games and two playoffs that season. It must also be noted that Embiid was playing with a torn ligament in his right thumb before the injury.
On the other hand, the 76ers have recorded their second consecutive loss against the Miami Heat without their MVP candidate. The Phillies need to get their star players back before Game 4 even to draw the series against the Miami Heat. The team is expected to wait until the game day before deciding as they are currently stuck between a rock and a hard place.
To make it worse, the Philadelphia 76ers have not won an NBA title since 1983 for almost 40 years now. So, the historic team needs to come up with a solution to tackle this situation without Joel Embiid if his injury persists.
