The Philadelphia 76ers will go into Saturday night’s showdown against the Golden State Warriors without their best player. Joel Embiid has missed the last four games due to a knee injury, and while it isn’t expected that the ailment is a serious and potentially long-term concern, Embiid having any kind of injury that keeps him on the sideline is less than ideal.
Prior to tip on Saturday, Embiid gave a little insight into what’s going on with his knee. The All-Star center met with the media, revealing that he went to the team and said shutting it down for a few games to get his body right after the All-Star break was for the best.
Joel Embiid says he isn’t sure when he will be back, but thinks he will be fairly soon. Said his knee was progressively getting worse and decided he needed to take time to get it right before the stretch run and the playoffs. Said he was the one who went to the team about it.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 2, 2019
Joel Embiid is framing his absence as something that was initially driven by him, with him not feeling comfortable with the level of pain he was dealing. Does not expect any restrictions when he returns, says its about preserving for the important games (playoffs) and the future
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) March 2, 2019
Seeing as how Philadelphia is 3-1 during this stretch without Embiid and their only loss came to the likely playoff-bound Portland Trail Blazers, the gamble has worked so far. While it’s not 100 percent clear when he’s going to return, Embiid does believe he’ll take the floor sometime soon, which excites Sixers coach Brett Brown.
Embiid “I expect to be back by next week”
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) March 2, 2019
Brett Brown on Joel Embiid: “I can’t wait to coach him again. I can’t wait to get him back in the mix.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 2, 2019
Embiid is still a little bummed he’s missing this particular game. That’s because, in his eyes, he’s sitting out a matchup against the best player in the world: Warriors star Kevin Durant.
Joel Embiid says Kevin Durant is “probably the best player in the league to me.”
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) March 2, 2019
Embiid says he thinks Kevin Durant is the best player in the league at this point, and he’s “bummed” that he’s going to miss this game. Likes to measure himself against elite players and teams
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) March 2, 2019
The admiration Embiid has for Durant goes the other way, too, as Durant made it a point to praise how difficult it is to stop Philadelphia’s big man.
Kevin Durant this morning: “Joel Embiid is by far the toughest center to stop in the league” https://t.co/RvUQPPcJ5h
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 2, 2019
This is the final regular season matchup of the year for these two teams, so if Embiid wants the chance to go up against Durant before 2018-19 comes to its conclusion, it will have to be with the Larry O’Brien Trophy on the line in the NBA Finals.
