Philadelphia 76ers Rumors
Joel Embiid set to return from ankle injury
Shams Charania: Philadelphia star Joel Embiid (left ankle) will return to 76ers lineup tonight against Toronto, sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid is a combination that a lot of people in the NBA, including the Cavs, feel like is disastrous, and it can’t work long term. And there is one member of the Cavs organization that believes eventually, maybe even as soon as this summer, if Philadelphia has an earlier than expected exit in the postseason again… there’s one member of the Cavs organization that believes that Philadelphia is going to have to pick between Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. That that pairing is going to have to be split up
Noah Levick: Kyle O’Quinn says Furkan Korkmaz apologized to him after the game for not feeding him at the end of of the game and setting him up for a 1st career triple-double. No hard feelings from O’Quinn.
Noah Levick: Brett Brown says he thinks Mike Scott’s role in the playoffs may be based on matchups. He’s unsure exactly where Scott factors in right now. “There is a physicality and a toughness with Mike Scott that is undeniable.”
Adrian Wojnarowski: There’s optimism that the Embiid ankle injury isn’t serious and that he’ll be back soon, sources tell ESPN.
The Sixers are right to funnel the ball Embiid’s way: He’s a diverse post scorer who can overpower opponents with power moves or use fakes to dance his way to the basket. No big man draws more fouls from the post than him, either. And now that he’s developed his passing ability, he makes teams pay for doubling him. Put it all together and Embiid has scored 1.12 points per post-up this season, which is better than anyone since Dirk Nowitzki averaged 1.15 points per post-up in 2010-11, per Synergy (minimum 300 total post-ups). But as the chart below shows, Embiid’s dominant regular season numbers have declined in the playoffs.
But opponents can game plan during the playoffs and strategically time pressure and double-teams more than they can during the regular season. No matter the matchup, Embiid will need to maintain his efficiency and make opponents suffer when they double by finding cutters and shooters. But then it’s on those players to hit shots. You’d think a team led by two limited perimeter threats would be littered with knockdown shooters, but the Sixers have none. Horford, Richardson, and Thybulle are average shooters. Richardson tied a season high with six 3-pointers on Sunday, but he’s made only 34.4 percent of his 3s off the catch, per NBA Advanced Stats. Harris has made only 37 percent of his spot-up 3s in his career, per NBA Advanced Stats. Burks and Furkan Korkmaz can shoot, but they aren’t reliable defenders. A post-centric style of play could expose some of the Sixers’ existing flaws.
Joel Embiid is officially a signature athlete, making him the 17th NBA player to have his own shoe. He debuted the UA Embiid One in the 76ers game against the Magic on Friday night. Before the game, he showed them off on Instagram. They look solid. The design is extremely safe and extremely big.
What makes this interesting is that Joel Embiid is the first true NBA big man to get a signature shoe in a while. He’s the first since Dwight Howard in the mid-2010’s when he had a signature line with Peak. That didn’t go so well.
Joel Embiid hurt
The Sixers’ number of available All-Stars has dropped from two to zero this week. Joel Embiid left Sunday’s game vs. the Portland Trail Blazers in the first quarter with a left ankle injury and the Sixers fell, 124-121. They’re now 42-28 and next play the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
“I’m going to learn more physically,” Brett Brown said after the game. “I don’t know enough to comment on it. … Joel was fully engaged as a teammate. As it relates to what his injury is or what it actually means, I can’t comment. I don’t know. But it was great just to see him being a part of the group.”
Aaron J. Fentress: FINAL Blazers 124 76ers 121 Damian Lillard scored 51. A win is a win, but… #RipCity
Mikal Bridges: Hey @Philadelphia 76ers good luck today 😅😁
Cavs like their chances in eventual Ben Simmons sweepstakes
The Cavs, of course, would have interest in Simmons. He possesses the talent and versatility to immediately alter the team’s future. The Sixers would want a haul for the 2016 No. 1 pick who is locked up through 2023-24 and will probably be named to the All-Defense First Team. But the Cavs believe they have enough to assemble an enticing package, especially with recent first-rounders littering the roster, a top six pick coming in October and a future first from the Milwaukee Bucks.
One executive who spoke with cleveland.com believes the Sixers will need to choose between Simmons and Joel Embiid — if Philly has an earlier-than-expected playoff exit.
Ben Simmons done for the season?
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star forward Ben Simmons will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is likely to miss the rest of the season, sources tell ESPN. Simmons will have a loose body removed from his left knee in the coming days, the team announced Saturday.
Only a deep Sixers playoff could keep a fleeting hope of his return alive this season, sources said. Even then, his return from the procedure — expected to take place outside of the Disney campus in the coming days — is largely expected to come next season. The Sixers are preparing now for a postseason run that will come without Simmons, one of the league’s most talented and versatile weapons.
The Athletic: Sixers point guard Ben Simmons is leaving the NBA bubble to remove a loose body in his left knee, sources tell @Shams Charania.
Ben Simmons to undergo surgery
Adrian Wojnarowski: Philadelphia’s All-Star F Ben Simmons will undergo surgery to remove a loose body in his left knee, sources tell ESPN.
Adrian Wojnarowski: While the Sixers haven’t ruled Simmons out for the season, sources say it would take a deep run into the playoffs to keep the door open on the possibility of a return — and that’s still an iffy proposition. For now, the Sixers need to prepare for a postseason without Simmons.
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Stephen Curry: Trust the process! Welcome to the signature shoe family, @JoelEmbiid ! #embiid1 @UAbasketball
Well-respected Kerith Burke still has her job for NBC Sports Bay Area. In Chicago, studio host Leah Rahimi was let go, with White Sox and Bulls sideline reporter Chuck Garfien reportedly taking on some of her duties. In Washington and Philadelphia, sideline reporters Chris Miller (who is also a studio host) and Serena Winters remain to cover the Wizards and Sixers, respectively.
Josh Robbins: Final: Sixers 108, Magic 101 Vucevic: 21 pts., 12 rebs., 3 assts. Augustin: 16 pts., 3 rebs., 5 assts. Embiid and Harris: 23 pts. apiece Magic in 4th Quarter: 8/23 FGAs, 2/10 3PAs, 4/5 FTAs Second-chance points: Sixers 21, Magic 13
Mark Medina: Brett Brown said there isn’t any new update on Ben Simmons. He’s out tonight vs Orlando, but is sifting through recovery options
Derek Bodner: Al Horford will start tonight in place of Ben Simmons #sixers
Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown did his best to put on a brave face as he spoke to the media Thursday afternoon. But in the wake of learning that All-Star Ben Simmons would be out indefinitely with a subluxation of his left patella, Brown couldn’t help but admit the obvious frustration over the situation. “This one stings, for sure,” Brown said.
Brown said the Sixers should know within the next 24 hours what the next steps for Simmons will be. The team said in its statement Thursday that treatment options were being considered. Simmons has already been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic. “Yeah, it’s a little frustrating sometimes,” guard Josh Richardson said of losing Simmons. “But that’s the way the game goes. So we’re going to just have to have a next-man-up mentality like we’ve had all year. Guys will pick up the slack, and when we get him back, he’ll fit back in seamlessly.
That will hinge on a couple of primary factors: which treatment option Simmons decides on, and how his body responds to the treatment. While Simmons’ general durability and recovery from a recent back injury are encouraging factors, it’s hard to say what the timetable looks like until the specifics are hammered down. Surgery is usually not recommended for first-time injuries of this nature, but even conservative treatment plans can last in the neighborhood of six weeks.
Brown, who sat down for dinner with Simmons on Wednesday evening inside the bubble, recalled the work Simmons put in to get ready for the Orlando restart in the first place. One word to sum up Simmons’ mood? “There is clearly disappointment. I don’t know if anyone really understood what he did to get ready to play basketball again. He really invested time,” Brown said. “It’s monotonous, some of the smaller things he had to do…I think the uncertainty of what really is it right now is obviously there. But he’s a great teammate, and his teammates care about him.”
