The Sixers insist they did their due diligence throughout the year before handing Joel Embiid a three-year max extension in September, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Following up on an ESPN report that the team and Embiid sought out a half-dozen medical opinions about his health prior to the extension, Neubeck details that a group of five-to-seven doctors did extensive testing and evaluating of Embiid’s left knee during three periods — following his injury in January, before his return late in the regular season, and again before the extension.
While there was a wide range of outcomes based on those evaluations, the opinions were generally optimistic that his knee issues were manageable. The staff and management was surprised when Embiid missed the opener and subsequent games while he continued to rehab and ramp up. The crux of the problem is that only Embiid knows how the knee feels on a daily basis and it has taken a mental toll on him.
Coach Nick Nurse said Embiid could suit up for Friday’s game against Orlando, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Embiid has only appeared in four games so far this fall.
We have more on the Sixers:
- Nurse and the team were upset about two no-calls in the late stages of their four-point loss to Orlando on Wednesday. One of those could have sent Tyrese Maxey to the foul line with a chance to tie after he missed a 3-point attempt. “That’s what the video showed — it should have been three free throws. It would have been a great play, right?” Nurse told Pompey and other media members.
- Paul George, who is managing his own knee issues, sat out the tail end of a back-to-back after posting 29 points and eight assists in a win over Charlotte on Tuesday. George is expecting to play on Friday and his improved health and production is a source of optimism for the club, Pompey writes. “He had the ball a lot and, he made some late. I think he gives our guys confidence, especially Tyrese, to have somebody else that he can go back and forth with a little bit. I think that gives us a lot of confidence,” Nurse said.
- Guerschon Yabusele hadn’t been in the league since the 2018/19 season until Philadelphia signed him as a free agent during the offseason. Kelly Oubre Jr. said it was immediately apparent that NBA teams made a mistake by not bringing him back from Europe sooner. “From day one when we got together as a team, I noticed that there’s no way he should have been out of the league,” Oubre told Pompey. “But at the end of the day, he’s back and he’s taken full advantage of his opportunity, and he’ll be here for a long time.”
I hope they never fire Morey.
Yabusele would be riding the bench on a good team.
Philly is not a good team.
Silly take, dude. Yabusele is shooting 49% from the field and 41% from 3 with enough defense to play. Sure, not a great player overall, but he has value. Philly’s offensive rating jumps ten points in lineups with him in them without a drop in defense.
Philly isn’t a good team, but Yabusele is one of the reasons they’re not a *terrible* team.
Enlighten me dude.
What “good” teams would Yabu be playing more than 15 minutes a game for?
Not Boston, not OKC, Not Cleveland, Not Houston, Not Orlando, Not the Knicks, Not the Bucks, not Dallas, Not Memphis. I could go on. You’re turn.
Celtics, Bucks, Suns, and Knicks could all use the frontcourt depth and strength he supplies. Suns easily play him over Ighodaro, Bucks because they have no depth, Celtics don’t have a ton of frontcourt options, and the Knicks frontcourt guys are all hurt right now. Maybe the Celtics play him about 15 instead of over, but the other three easily do. And that’s just off the top of my head.
Clippers, Nuggets, and Lakers all probably use him as well, if you broaden the definition of “good” a bit to include all playoff/play-in teams above .500. Maybe Minnesota too, given their shooting woes, though they’re on the outside right now.
The Celtics, Bucks, or Knicks would not play him `15 minutes a game if healthy. Nuggets, wouldn’t if healthy, Lakers wouldn’t if healthy.
Suns might.
Talk about a silly take.
A few years ago I had an argument with Eon because he said Samanic was as good as Olynyk.
Kinda stopped worrying about what he says since then.
I said Samanic could *replace* Olynyk because he wasn’t sticking around, not that he was the same caliber of player, lol.
Ok. Well he definitely couldn’t.
I remember how you told me he was as good as a passer as Olynk.
You weren’t kidding either,
Okay, then I was wrong, multiple years ago. So what? It’s not like you’ve never been wrong in your life, lol.
@Claydagoat: “If healthy” wasn’t part of your question. Still doesn’t change any of the others.
Oh, you want to argue about teams he’d be in the rotation if they were decimated with injuries like Philly?
Got ya.
Lmao, putting words in my mouth is fun, huh?
The Lakers aren’t going to be healthy for a while, and they could use the frontcourt depth and 3pt shooting. How does Yabusele not fit?
Nuggets sure. I’ll accept that.
Knicks aren’t going to be fully healthy for a while either. Yabusele gives them size and shooting.
“Knicks aren’t going to be fully healthy for a while either. Yabusele gives them size and shooting.”
Achiuwa is supposed to be back within a week or so. But that said, Yabusele would not be a bad replacement if he weren’t. If Yabusele were on the Knicks instead of Precious, Yabusele could absolutely get 15+ minutes a game with them. When Mitch is back? Maybe not, though Mitch typically doesn’t play a ton of minutes and 15 minutes for Yabusele is not much.
Celtics go 8 deep when healthy. Knicks have Robinson when healthy, Bucks have Lopez, Portis and Giannis. He’d be deep on the pine on all of those teams
Yabusele gives the Bucks more depth that they currently absolutely lack. When healthy wasn’t part of the equation when asked. Changing your questions to suit your own opinion is funny.
76ers can’t get out of their own way. It’s no wonder they haven’t won anything meaningful since spring of 2001.
I imagine they did their due diligence. But I also don’t think there was ever a chance they DIDN’T extend Embiid.
Well his knee management is going so well he might not even need to be healthy for playoffs. The Sixers FO is a joke. Fire Morey
If you need that many doctors to evaluate if Embiid is healthy enough for a max contract ……. Then it would probably have been wise to have Embiid, a native of the Cameroon, to sit out the Olympics. Opting to rest those knees, rather than spend the summer playing in the Olympics, was an easy choice if Embiid was actually serious about winning a ring, and not just cashing checks. Sixers management just as much at fault. Why would you invest $200 million in a player with Embiid’s injury history, and let him play in the Olympics rather than rest like he is doing now?? You then invest in another max for Paul George, which is absolutely a waste of money if Embiid isn’t healthy. Yet, you let Embiid spend his summer playing on bad knees rather than rest for a title run. Just absurd!
That’s what I’ve been saying. How do you go to Olympics. Then come back and not play for the team that pays you. And goes out and spends on FAs big time.
This iteration of the sixers just shows that you dont build around 2 players with problems with their knees.
Morey has been clutching at straws for years…
Always making risky bets that look good on paper… But the reality is a weird locker room vibe and injury prone players because he doesn’t take the intangibles into account…
Embid is headed to the shelf for the season. The knee is shot and needs to be repaired is what the in between the lines are saying.
Ofc some rich guy like Embiid would jump right to the head of the line of knee donors too. Well good thing he has millions. Just makes me sick to think who could use it more
How long have I been telling you. Moreyon is a counter. Not a basketball mind.