Philadelphia 76ers fans got good news about Joel Embiid on Friday, and all that’s missing is a timetable.
The Sixers reported on Friday that Embiid’s orbital surgery was successful and, perhaps more importantly, the forward passed his neurological tests and he is officially out of the NBA’s concussion protocol.
Embiid fractured a bone below his eye last week and needed surgery to repair it after teammate Markelle Fultz’ shoulder collided with Embiid during a game. Sixers fans were initially told the team would know more about his status after the surgery. Initial estimates were that Embiid could only miss two weeks after his surgery. An official timetable still hasn’t been established, but Friday’s update is certainly good news all around.
https://twitter.com/sixers/status/982364565622190080
A lack of a true timeline for return is frustrating with the postseason officially a week away, but Embiid’s brain being cleared for play genuinely is a huge deal. Whether Embiid needs a facial mask to retake the court is unclear, but those
types of things are much easier to deal with than true concussion symptoms, and they certainly impact play a lot less than a bad brain.
The Sixers are trying to hang onto an extra home game in the first round of the postseason and currently sit in fourth place. They’ve done well with Embiid off the court, but a healthy All-Star returning sometime in that first round would be a huge boost no matter how you look at it.
