More on Joel Embiid Injury
Joel Embiid said after Thursday’s practice that he had no idea when he would be cleared to play on consecutive nights. “I’m actually going to ask them the question,” he said, referring to the team’s medical staff. “Hopefully I get to play in back-to-backs.”
“Yesterday I played, and my body feels great today,” Embiid said. “My knee feels amazing. So I feel like if I have to play today, I would play depending on how I feel. But I feel like I’m ready.”
Keith Pompey: Joel Embiid will play 12-14 minutes.
Keith Pompey: #Sixers center @JoelEmbiid is available to play tonight vs. the #BrooklynNets
Joel Embiid was cleared for 5-on-5 drills and participated in a full practice with the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time Thursday. Embiid sat out Philadelphia's preseason opener on Wednesday and won't play against Boston on Friday. The Sixers are hopeful Embiid will be in the lineup on opening night.
Jessica Camerato: Brown said Embiid had better conditioning today than he expected.
Tom Moore: #Sixers Brown: 'I don't really know what to expect' when asked if Embiid will be ready for start of season but says JE is getting there.
Embiid, who is rehabilitating a left knee injury, was spotted playing tennis Sunday night on a Philly court. Then a Lyft driver saw him jogging in the city Monday night. Embiid was heading home after a second night of tennis with a member of the Sixers’ coaching staff.
But why would a high-profile athlete jog in the streets and on sidewalks late at night? What if he ran across pushy autograph-seeking fans or hecklers and put himself in harm’s way? “He declares himself to be a man of the people,” coach Brett Brown said. “I think that is true. He’s proud of that and I think he lives it.”
Jessica Camerato: Brown said practices based around what Embiid's cleared to do- “We are trying to cater the structure to slowly groom Joel back into the mix.”
Sarah Todd: Jahlil Okafor was full participant in #Sixers practice. Joel Embiid participated in practice including half court 5-on-5.
Joel Embiid aims to return from a left knee injury on Oct. 18 in the 76ers’ season opener at the Washington Wizards. “We got a couple of preseason games. I might play in those,” Embiid said. “But if I’m not 100 percent, they are not going to put me out there.”
Joel Embiid: “It’s not just about rehabbing. It’s also about like being in the best shape possible, which I’m not yet on that level. But hopefully, I can [play] in the first game of the season.”
He thinks he could play 5-on-5 if need be. “I mean if it was Game 7 of the Finals, definitely,” Embiid said. “But there’s a plan in place and I have to check a couple of boxes before this season or before my first game of this season. That’s what I intend to do.” Embiid, however, doesn’t think he’ll play in all 82 games this season.
Jessica Camerato: "I feel good about myself and can't wait to be back on the court ... I feel amazing." - Joel Embiid
Keith Pompey: Embiid "I'll be honest, I don't think I'll play 82 games."
Keith Pompey: The Sixers feel Joel Embiid is on course for the regular season.
Keith Pompey: Colangelo on if Embiid had a setback: “No. He’s a 7-foot, 280-pound specimen that had knee surgery in the offseason. You know, cut his season short. He had five-and-half, six months to his return to play. It looks like if you walked into the gym. He could be playing five-on-five basketball. But once again, we are going to take our cues from people that now best."
Tom Moore: #Sixers Brett Brown says Joel Embiid has 'yet to play 5-on-5' and doesn't know when that will happen. pic.twitter.com/cpgPjBTTy4
Tom Moore: B Colangelo: 'It's too early to tell' when Joel Embiid will scrimmage. 'We are excited where he is with his condition.'
An NBA source denied a report that agent Leon Rose plans to hold the 76ers' Joel Embiid out from 5-on-5 scrimmaging until Embiid receives a contract extension. The source claimed what Howard Eskin of 94WIP said Thursday is "absolutely not" the case and there's "nothing to the reports."
Ben Simmons: "Joel [Embiid] is doing well - I actually worked out with him before I came to Australia so I know he's been working hard every day.”
The source said center Joel Embiid hasn't been cleared for fullcourt scrimmaging "as of yet." Embiid, who is from Cameroon, worked with children as part of the NBA Africa Game earlier this month, but didn't play in the Aug. 5 game.
The source said center Joel Embiid hasn't been cleared for fullcourt scrimmaging "as of yet." Embiid, who is from Cameroon, worked with children as part of the NBA Africa Game earlier this month, but didn't play in the Aug. 5 game.
Embiid, a counselor at a Basketball Without Borders camp before Saturday's NBA Africa Game in Johannesburg, South Africa, said he's doing non-contact drills while recovering from a torn left meniscus, but he hasn't been cleared to play 5-on-5 yet. "I can do everything but play 5-on-5 and one-on-one," Embiid told Spears. "I think I will be ready for training camp."
You mention Rihanna, any update on your pursuit of Rihanna? Joel Embiid: No, I’m focused on rehab [laughs]. That can wait. My career comes first right now. Speaking of, how is your knee feeling and where are you at in the rehab process? Joel Embiid: I’m feeling good. I’m supposed to see the doctor next week and they’re going to check everything just to make sure everything looks good. But I’ve been feeling good so I expect to be back on the court next week.
Adam Zagoria: Joel Embiid tells ESPN he hopes to be back on the court in 'about 2 or 3 weeks.' 'Trust the process,' he adds.
The 76ers wonder: "What if?" What if, after establishing himself as one of the NBA's elite big men, Joel Embiid hadn't suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in his left knee? "A lot of us talk about it all the time," T.J. McConnell said. "Not only Joel, but Ben [Simmons]. If we had everyone that was supposed to play, I don't think the game on Wednesday [against the New York Knicks] would be our last game of the year."
Joel Embiid: That feeling when I’m not out there playing with my boys. Sucks!!! @Jolly_Rancher #ad
Joel Embiid: Back to the start of the process.... #TheOriginalProcess
David Aldridge: 76ers announce Joel Embiid had “minor” surgery on his meniscus tear today in Los Angeles. Hope is knee can take weight bearing in two weeks.
Philadelphia 76ers Director Of Performance Research & Development Dr. David T. Martin: "Joel will complete his initial rehabilitation in Los Angeles, with specialists and our medical and training staff committed to a conservative and measured rehabilitation and recovery plan. Based on the program that has been outlined, we will continually evaluate Joel's progress against predetermined benchmarks and anticipate he will resume basketball activities this summer."
John Clark: From @Joel Embiid #TrustTheSurgery
Jessica Camerato: Brown on Embiid: "He deserves some luck. He’s gone through a lot and he is a different person than his first injury."
Jessica Camerato: Brown on Embiid: “This time around you just saw a far more mature, inquisitive person, very much understanding this is his profession and he’s curious about what direction this is all going. It is far different than a kid out of Kansas that I met three years ago. I say that with complete respect and complete confidence that he will handle this as a pro.”
Tom Moore: #NBA source: Joel's Embiid's knee injury did occur in Jan. 20 home game vs Blazers and not during January practice. #Sixers
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, recently ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, is "very likely" headed for knee surgery in coming days, according to league sources.
The Sixers initially hoped that surgery would not be necessary on the knee injury but a recent scan revealed "a more pronounced tear," according to one source close to the situation. Philadelphia (26-44) was 13-18 this season in games in which Embiid played despite the fact that Ben Simmons, selected No. 1 overall in last June's draft, also missed his entire rookie season due to a fractured right foot.
Marc Stein: Knee surgery for Sixers center Joel Embiid is "very likely," according to league sources. Story on the way momentarily
Tom Moore: Told #Sixers have yet to schedule Joel Embiid's left knee surgery. Considering options/treatments & hope to have more info soon. #NBA
The 7-2 center met up with the Sixers last weekend in Los Angeles, where they played back-to-back games against the Clippers and Lakers. The team said he was going to meet one of his doctors there to check out the torn meniscus in his left knee. Then Thursday, the team announced that Embiid stayed behind in Los Angeles with Dr. David Martin, the Sixers' director of performance research and development, and the two traveled to San Diego to see another specialist.
Surgery hasn't been something the Sixers have discussed, but according to two orthopedic surgeons, it would seem probable. A minor repair could mean a six-to-eight-week recovery. If the tear is bigger, a recovery of six to eight months could be required. The team has said numerous times that the tear is "slight" and "minor."
76ers center Joel Embiid is talking to doctors here about the torn meniscus his left knee while the team is in town to face Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday and Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. "We are trying to study his path and go about it meticulously," coach Brett Brown said, "and really sort of help create an environment while he is with us where he's a part of the team."
The Sixers announced on March 1 that Embiid would miss the rest of the season due to the injury. He is expected to have surgery. Embiid is meeting with the doctors to talk about the best next step.
Missing 215 out of a possible 246 games to start his career looks really, really bad. And, to be fair, it is. But that perspective is painted almost entirely by the navicular bone which caused him to miss his first two seasons. When you isolate the new information, and how that impacts his future health, this meniscus tear isn’t likely to be a big factor down the road. It’s an injury that looks bad because of the previous two seasons. That looks bad because he’ll end up missing 51 games this year, even though that number is heavily influenced by the team’s cautious approach to bringing him back, as Embiid missed 11 games prior to the January 20th injury, through little fault of his own.
Prior to Monday night's game against the Bucks, Sixers coach Brett Brown was asked if Simmons and Joel Embiid, whose left knee and cautiousness with his right foot surgeries are limiting him to 31 games this season, would play in the summer. "I think it's too early to make that judgment," Brown said. "I hear the question, but I think that's certainly stuff that we're talking about. But in relation to giving a definite answer, we're not even close to being there yet."
Joel Embiid aka NBA's social media king sent out a message to the fans on Thursday to reassure them that he'll "be back soon," and that, "The process has to be postponed for this minor setback." Along with that message, he set the location of the Instagram post to "Meniscus" ( Embiid always gets creative with his IG locations).
Meniscus tears typically require trimming out the piece that's torn or completely stitching it back into place. If the Sixers do opt for one of those options, Dr. Mark Schwartz of Virtua Health still expects Embiid to be back for the start of the 2017-18 campaign. "Ideally, you hope you can actually repair it. Long term, it's in his benefit," Schwartz, who is not treating Embiid, said on Wednesday's edition of Philly Sports Talk. "Either way, he should be back for next season with no restrictions."
"I think initially the bulk of the symptoms were coming from the bone bruise and the meniscal symptoms were probably in the background," Schwartz said. "Now that the recent MRI reportedly shows improvement in the bone bruise, I think now that the symptoms from the menisci have come to the surface and I think the new MRI shows the meniscal tear to be bigger than originally thought. "I think the next step now that you know that he's not going to be playing for the rest of the season and he still has these symptoms and he's had this meniscal tear for quite some time now, I think the next logical step is to look into his knee arthroscopically."
Embiid’s status is changed from out indefinitely to out for the remainder of this season. "Our primary objective and focus remains to protect his long-term health and ability to perform on the basketball court," said Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo. "As our medical team and performance staff continue their diligence in the evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of Joel's injury, we will provide any pertinent updates when available."
As previously announced, Sixers center Joel Embiid underwent an MRI on his left knee Monday afternoon, allowing the team's medical staff an opportunity to provide an update on the results. "The assessment of Monday's follow-up MRI of Joel Embiid's left knee appears to reveal that the area affected by the bone bruise has improved significantly, while the previously identified meniscus tear appears more pronounced in this most recent scan," said Sixers Chief Medical Director and Co-Chief of Sports Medicine Orthopedics at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center Dr. Jonathan Glashow. "We will continue to work with leading specialists to gather additional information through clinical examination and sequential testing to determine the best course of action and next steps."
After announcing earlier in the day that the Sixers phenom would be kept out indefinitely due to soreness and swelling in his right knee, host Michael Barkann asked Colangelo why the team wouldn’t just have surgery on Embiid and get it over with. “Are you a doctor now?” Colangelo shot back at the host. "With all due respect, medical injuries are injuries that require care and attention.” "When I take information that comes from the medical team, including doctors and the training staff and the physiotherapists, we apply it as instructed and we do that to protect the athlete,” Colangelo added. “In a case of jumping into someone's knee to operate, when the circumstances are known but the conditions and how he's reacting to certain things are still unknown, I think you go through the planned progression of steps as prescribed and evaluated by doctors, not by a general manager and certainly not by a television co-host.”
Keith Pompey: Again, #Sixers' Joel Embiid is out indefinitely due to swelling and soreness in his left KNEE. He'll have an MRI today.
Jake Fischer: Bryan Colangelo says Joel Embiid's knee injury is a bone bruise and is "progressing well." Will miss the next 4 games at a minimum.
Joel Embiid said he wasn’t happy with how the 76ers handled his being sidelined with a bone bruise in his left knee. The center pointed out that the Sixers informed the media he was a day-to-day injury.
“I was told that I was going to kind of miss two or three weeks,” Embiid said. “So I wasn’t happy with the way it was handled. I thought keeping my name out there was going to literally have people think about me all the time instead of saying when I was going to come back.”
It'd be pretty discouraging under any circumstances for Embiid to get shut down again—and it looks as if that will not be necessary, according to league sources. There is a possibility Embiid will need an offseason procedure to address the slight meniscus tear in his knee—but only if symptoms persist. The belief is his symptoms will subside because the bone bruise is causing most of his current discomfort…and a lot of rest over the break will help that.
Rick Bonnell: Joel Embiid is OUT for Monday's game versus the Hornets.
Joel Embiid has a torn meniscus in his left knee, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. The tear was discovered after Embiid underwent an MRI following a 93-92 victory on January 20th over the Portland Trailblazers. Embiid left the game in the third quarter with a left knee contusion after landing awkwardly following a drive to the basket.
There is some thought that the torn meniscus could be a pre-existing condition which the ensuing MRI discovered, rather than caused by the fall on January 20th, although the two injuries being related has not been completely ruled out. The tear is a low-grade tear and is not expected to require surgical intervention. It is unclear whether the tear is contributing to the soreness and swelling which has kept Embiid out of 11 of the last 12 games, including the last 8 in a row.
Tom Moore: #Sixers Brown says 'I really don't know' when Embiid will be able to play again. Says Embiid looked good today at shootaround.
Tom Moore: Brown: 'I understand what people are asking' about Embiid dancing onstage. ... 'I'm not going to answer anything more about Joel dancing.'
