The worst fears for the Philadelphia 76ers are beginning to be realized. After Joel Embiid suffered a dislocated finger in Monday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder that caused him to be ruled out for Thursday’s matchup with the Boston Celtics, he could now miss more than just the one game.
Embiid has been diagnosed with a torn radial collateral ligament of the fourth metatarsal in his left hand and there is no timetable for his return. He is currently weighing his options going forward.
His presence is a huge loss for this Sixers team. Not only are they losing his 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, but they’re also going to be missing him on defense. Just his presence alone makes the Sixers one of the better defensive teams in the league.
Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with a torn radial collateral ligament of the 4th metatarsal in his left hand. No timetable for his return. #Sixers
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) January 9, 2020
The Sixers will now have to rely on Al Horford in the time being and hope that he can step in and provide some of that All-Star play he’s proven throughout his career. Without the big man, Philadelphia will have to play an up-tempo game tailor-made for Ben Simmons and his ability to attack in transition.