Bold opening: Joel Embiid’s health worry returns, threatening to sideline the 76ers once again and fueling debate about the team’s depth and handling of injuries.
Joel Embiid will miss the Philadelphia 76ers’ upcoming matchup with the Atlanta Hawks due to soreness in his right shin, a development reported during the All-Star break. The Sixers announced that Embiid felt the shin discomfort while he was part of a right knee injury management program. After a consultation with medical staff, Embiid has begun daily treatment and continues a program of on-court work paired with strength and conditioning rehab.
He is set to be reevaluated ahead of Philadelphia’s back-to-back road games, first Saturday at New Orleans and then Sunday at Minnesota.
Through 31 games this season, Embiid has averaged 26.6 points per game and had recently been free of the minutes restrictions that followed him for much of the previous seasons. Nonetheless, he sat out three of the last five games before the All-Star break due to soreness in the right knee.
Statistically, the Sixers have struggled when Embiid hasn’t played, dropping six of seven such games.
Embiid, a seven-foot center, has battled injuries throughout his career. He missed substantial time early on after a stress fracture in his right foot before entering the NBA, followed by a sequence of other issues—from bone bruises to meniscal tears, a busted orbital bone, and various tendinitis and ligament problems. There’s even a history of Bell’s palsy. Despite these ongoing challenges, Philadelphia rewarded him with a three-year, $193 million extension in 2024, including a player option for 2028-29 that does not activate until the following season.
Context and links of note:
- Health
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Sports
- NBA
- Joel Embiid
- Atlanta
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