Joel Embiid wants to play basketball again soon. The entire city of Philadelphia is with him in this request, but it’s a bit more complicated than wants and desires at this point.
Embiid is frustrated that he has been cleared out of the concussion protocol and has a mask ready to go but hasn’t been activated by the Sixers in the first two games of their playoff series against the Miami Heat. Embiid broke a bone last month and needed surgery to repair it, and he’s been working to return ever since.
After a disappointing loss in Game 2 on Monday night, Embiid vented his frustrations on Instagram by saying he was sick of being “babied” by the Sixers. He clarified that he feels obligated to perform in the postseason for fans who suffered through The Process, but it doesn’t sound like he is certain to get his wish in Game 3.
Sixers coach Brett Brown spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon and said there was no status update for Embiid and whether he’d play in Thursday’s Game 3.
Brett Brown on when Joel Embiid will return:"That's still unknown"
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) April 17, 2018
According to ESPN, the Sixers have had no issue with Embiid’s frustrated post on Instagram and say everyone involved is “unified” in their understanding of his timetable.
There remains no definitive timetable for Embiid’s return, though Brown said Tuesday that it is not “that far away.”
“It’s still moving forward,” Brown said before the Sixers’ practice on Tuesday afternoon. “What I can say is there is a very unified effort with his representation and the people around him. With the people that did the operation, the doctors, with our medical staff, with the team, with me, the coaching staff. We’re all doing this. There’s a unified sort of spirit and line of communication.”
While we won’t know about Embiid’s status until we get closer to Thursday, perhaps the extra day off will make a difference for the All-Star center. And who knows, this may be gamesmanship from the Sixers’ coach, although it’s far more likely that he’s being honest about his big man’s status.
Embiid clearly wants to play, and it stands to reason that the Sixers will give him the green light once everyone agrees he’s 100 percent.
