As the regular season draws to a close in the next few weeks, the excitement for the playoffs is reaching its peak. Ensuring the well-being of our top players has become an even greater priority, as it’s not just about securing a qualifying seed, but also about maintaining their health.
Joel Embiid’s return to fitness brings some positive news for the Sixers. Although he is not quite prepared for action yet, his eventual return could provide a significant boost to the Philadelphia franchise as they strive for the championship.
Joel Embiid inches closer to 76ers return?
Finally a moment of bliss for the Philadelphia 76ers as their star player Joel Embiid was spotted on Sunday’s practice session after weeks of wait.
The Cameroonian center was sidelined in January after injuring his left knee due to a meniscus tear. As per previous reports, Embiid was expected to join the Sixers before the NBA regular season ends. The evaluation seems to be on track as the 30-year-old is back for training before the season finale. By the second week of April, the reigning MVP is expected to be seen in action, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia center was last seen on January against the Golden State Warriors where Jonathan Kuminga fell on his knee worsening his existing injury. Embiid had to undergo surgery to fix his knee.
The Sixers suffered a great deal losing 21 out of 31 games with the Joel Embiid-sized hole in the team, on the contrary, they had won 26 out of 33 games with the 7-time All-Star on the floor. At least now they can breathe a sigh of relief as the 2-time scoring champion can help the franchise with their offense.
Joel Embiid’s performance this NBA season
Joel Embiid was having a pretty good season handling the offense like the pro that he was before his injury which created the void in the squad during his absence.
The Sixers center scored a breathtaking career-high 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs in the same month he was sidelined. His back-to-back double-doubles in 6 games and one triple-double out of 10 games helped the franchising in securing their position in the Eastern Conference table.
Embiid achieved a remarkable feat by surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s scoring record while wearing the Sixers jersey. His impressive performance and perfect shooting in the second and third quarters last year against the Wizards earned him a place alongside NBA veterans LeBron James (10-10) and Klay Thompson (13-13). Here are three NBA players who have achieved the impressive feat of scoring 10 or more points in a single quarter since the 1997–1998 season. The Sixers center achieved a remarkable feat by scoring 30 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists in three quarters of a game, despite missing the fourth quarter.
Averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game in the 34 games he played made him the fan favorite for the 2024 MVP title race. Embiid’s injury not only made him miss a chunk of games but also disqualified him from the MVP contenders list, as per the 65-game rule.
With the return of Embiid, the 6th-seeded Eastern team will gain the depth that was lacking for a while in his absence.
