PHILADELPHIA — After the deals the Philadelphia 76ers made at the deadline, the focus shifts to what’s next for Joel Embiid? The big fella underwent a procedure on his left knee on Feb. 6 to repair a meniscus injury and will be reevaluated in four weeks.
Before the Sixers made their flurry of trades on Thursday but in the aftermath of Embiid undergoing his procedure, coach Nick Nurse was asked about the possibility of the big fella returning.
“The only thing I can say is what everybody’s been saying,” Nurse said on Feb. 7 before a loss to the Golden State Warriors. “It’s certainly going to be at least four weeks until we get another read on where he’s gonna be. That puts us in early March. I think we play till early or mid-April. So I think there’s a good possibility, yeah.”
The season finale for the Sixers is April 14. If Embiid can return sometime in March, he will have anywhere from four-to-six weeks to really ramp himself up and prepare for the playoffs.
That is a tall order to ask of the reigning league MVP. Obviously, Nurse and the Sixers would like to have Embiid return, but one has to wonder how he will look once he does return from such a long layoff after a big procedure.
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