Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will miss the team’s first game back after the All-Star break against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday due to an issue with his shin, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported. Embiid will be re-evaluated before the team’s following game Saturday.
Embiid has appeared in just 31 games this season, but has looked good when he’s been able to play. His average is back up to over 26 points per game after averaging 23.8 points last season in only 19 games. The Sixers are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 30-24.
In his last 10 games leading up to the All-Star break, Embiid really seemed to hit his stride, averaging 33.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. During that span, Embiid shot 52.9% from 3-point range and 86.9% from the free throw line. More importantly, Philly went 7-3 in that stretch.
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With Embiid’s injury history, any time he misses is always concerning. Before playing in 19 games last season, he played 39 the year before that. During his MVP campaign of 2022-23, Embiid missed 16 games, appearing in 66, which were the second most of his career. The previous year, Embiid played in 68 games for Philadelphia.
Despite all the injuries, Embiid is still considered one of the best centers in basketball when healthy. At this point, the Sixers and the fan base know Embiid is going to miss some time each year. For Philadelphia, it’s about having him healthy in April and May as it attempts to make a title run. The Sixers have never advanced beyond the Eastern Conference semifinals during Embiid’s tenure with the franchise.
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Philly and Atlanta tipoff at 7 p.m. ET Thursday from Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
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