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Joel Embiid Set To Return For Sixers

March 11th, 2020 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Joel Embiid has been cleared to return to action on Wednesday night against Detroit, tweets Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. Embiid had been sidelined since February 26 due to a left shoulder sprain.

A report last week indicated that Embiid was targeting today’s game vs. the Pistons for his return. He participated in practice on Tuesday, increasing his chances of making it back tonight. Josh Richardson, who has been in the NBA’s concussion protocol, has also been cleared to return.

Although the 76ers are getting a couple of key contributors back, the team will still be without Ben Simmons for the foreseeable future. Philadelphia issued a press release earlier today indicating that Simmons’ back injury will keep him on the shelf for at least the next three weeks. While the Sixers hope their All-Star guard can return before the postseason, that three-week timeline means he’ll be out until at least April.

Ben Simmons To Be Re-Evaluated In Three Weeks

March 11th, 2020 at 1:15pm CST by Jovan Alford

All-Star point guard Ben Simmons is making progress in his rehab from a lower back injury and will be re-evaluated in three weeks, according to a press release from the 76ers,

Simmons was diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back just over two weeks ago after going through a series of X-rays and MRIs.

The star point guard missed the team’s Feb. 20 contest against the Nets, then tried to play a couple of days later against the Bucks. However, he aggravated the injury further, only playing five minutes before being taken out. A report last week suggested Philadelphia is hoping to get Simmons back before the start of the postseason.

This season, Simmons is averaging 16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 54 games. In his absence, the 76ers have struggled on both ends of the floor, losing recently to the Warriors, 118-114, to wrap up their four-game Western Conference road trip.

The Sixers have had second-year point guard Shake Milton, Raul Neto, and Alec Burks share the ball-handling duties in Simmons’ absence.

Latest On Embiid, Richardson

March 10th, 2020 at 6:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Both Joel Embiid (shoulder) and Josh Richardson (concussion) returned to practice today for the Sixers, per Bontemps (Twitter link). Embiid is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit, while Richardson should be good to go, tweets Jon Johnson of SportsRadio 94WIP.

Joel Embiid Hoping To Return Next Wednesday

March 6th, 2020 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Joel Embiid is hoping that he’ll be able to return to the Sixers‘ lineup next Wednesday against Detroit, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Embiid has been sidelined since February 26 due to a left shoulder injury.

Embiid, who suffered the injury in a collision with Cavaliers center Ante Zizic, was diagnosed with a sprain after an MRI showed no significant structural damage. That diagnosis was viewed as good news, and there has been an expectation that the big man will be able to return to action before Philadelphia’s other injured star, Ben Simmons, does.

[RELATED: Latest On Ben Simmons’ Injury]

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Embiid has resumed on-court activities and will be officially re-evaluated by the team on Monday.

Assuming Embiid can make it back on Wednesday, he’ll only miss one more game — the 76ers are scheduled to play in Golden State on Saturday night before getting three consecutive days off. If Embiid doesn’t hit his target date, a March 14 contest against Indiana would be his next chance to return.

Philadelphia is jockeying for playoff position in the East, so getting Embiid back for the team’s last 18 games would be a big help in that race. Currently, the 38-25 Sixers are 2.5 games back of Miami for the No. 4 seed and a half-game ahead of the No. 6 Pacers.

Sixers Notes: Simmons, Embiid, Horford, GRIII

March 6th, 2020 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

While Sixers center Joel Embiid has a chance to return from his shoulder injury within the next week, sources tell ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that Ben Simmons‘ recovery timeline is harder to pin down. Simmons, who is dealing with a nerve impingement in his lower back, will be re-evaluated next week.

As Shelburne explains, the Sixers are waiting for the inflammation around Simmons’ nerve to subside. The club is hoping to get him back before the end of the season so he can get his feet under him again before the playoffs. But at this point, that’s “just a hope,” given the uncertainty surrounding the injury, Shelburne writes.

Here’s more on the 76ers:

Shelburne’s ESPN article on the Sixers’ up-and-down season is worth reading in full, with head coach Brett Brown, GM Elton Brand, and big man Al Horford among those providing quotes. Brown, notably, expressed plenty of confidence that Embiid and Simmons are capable of not just co-existing and thriving, but of winning a title together. “I know these guys,” Brown said. “It’s like how my wife knows when my kids are going to get sick about two days before they get sick. When you’re a parent, you know your kids. And so I look at these two guys and I know they can win together. They can and they will.”
In the wake of a report suggesting the 76ers may explore trading Horford in the offseason, Chris Mannix of SI.com asked a veteran NBA executive about the possibility. “I would be shocked if he has value,” the exec said of Horford. “They might have to include an asset for someone to take him off their books. He has not looked good this year. His movement, it just seems a step slow, on both ends. I think they have to try to trade him. He obviously can’t play with Embiid. The goal should be to divide that salary over a couple of players and make them deeper. But I don’t know how they are going to do that.”
Glenn Robinson III, who expressed some confusion last week about what role the Sixers wanted him to play, is feeling a little better about his place in the rotation these days. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Robinson showed on Tuesday why the 76ers traded for him, scoring 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting. He said after the game that he’s continuing to “get a feel for my teammates.”

Thybulle Interested In Playing For Australia At Olympics

March 3rd, 2020 at 5:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers rookie Matisse Thybulle has expressed interest in representing Australia in the 2020 Olympics, per The Australian Associated Press (link via ESPN). Thybulle, who said his Australian passport is up to date, will make a decision after the season. If he does suit up for the Boomers, he could be playing alongside 76ers teammate Ben Simmons for head coach Brett Brown.

Richardson Enters Concussion Protocol

March 2nd, 2020 at 9:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers guard Josh Richardson is in the league’s concussion protocol and won’t play against the Lakers on Tuesday, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets. His status for the remaining games on the team’s road trip will be updated at a later date, Bodner adds.
Sixers guard Ben Simmons shouldn’t have played against Milwaukee when he reaggravated a back ailment, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer argues. The All-Star experienced lower-back tightness while grabbing a rebound during the team’s first practice after the All-Star break. He tried to come back that weekend against the Bucks and departed in the first quarter. He’ll miss at least two weeks.

Al Horford Dismisses Trade Speculation

March 2nd, 2020 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After a weekend report suggested that the Sixers may explore trading Al Horford this summer, just one year into his four-year contract with the club, the veteran big man was asked on Monday about the possibility of an offseason deal. Predictably, Horford dismissed the report, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

“All I can say is I am focused on right now,” Horford told Pompey. “I can’t control speculation. That is a decision they would have to make when the time is right. Right now, I am focused on getting some wins for our team.”

Horford received one of the most lucrative long-term deals of the 2019 offseason, with the Sixers envisioning the 33-year-old as someone who could play alongside Joel Embiid and provide solid minutes at the five when Embiid sits.

However, it has been a shaky fit so far. Horford is averaging just 11.7 PPG and 6.7 RPG with a career-worst .435 FG% in 56 games (30.6 MPG). He was recently moved to the bench for three games, though he has returned to the starting lineup during the last week with Ben Simmons and Embiid sidelined.

If the 76ers do try to move Horford in the offseason, his contract figures to be a turn-off for potential trade partners. He’s owed a guaranteed $54.5MM over the next two seasons, with a partially guaranteed salary ($14MM of $26.5MM) in 2022/23. He’ll be 36 years old by the time the contract ends.

Sixers May Attempt To Trade Al Horford This Offseason

February 29th, 2020 at 2:46pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers were expected to be among the best teams in the league, but through two-thirds of the season, they’ve been a major disappointment. Injuries are part of that, but fit among Philadelphia’s highest-paid players is a major reason why the team has failed to meet those lofty expectations.

The franchise inked Al Horford to a four-year, $109MM deal this offseason and the big man may not make it to year two in South Philly. According to Jeff Zillgett of USA Today, the Sixers may be open to dealing the veteran big this offseason if they can get shooting in return.

The Sixers did not try to move Horford at the trade deadline, Zillgett adds. Horford’s lucrative contract, which features a partial guarantee on the final season, may be a deterrent for potential trade partners if Philadelphia looks to move the 33-year-old.

Atlantic Notes: Burks, Milton, Williams, Kemba

February 29th, 2020 at 1:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Recently-acquired Sixers wing Alec Burks could take on more point guard responsibilities in the wake of Ben Simmons‘ injury. However, the 6’6″ guard is better suited for the shooting guard spot, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic contends.

Burks shoots the ball well of the catch, Bodner adds — the former Warrior made 37.5% of his 96 “no-dribble” attempts while in Golden State.

Here are more notes from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers appear ready to have confidence in Shake Milton as the point guard replacement for Simmons, Mike Greger of Heavy.com relays. Gregor also details Milton’s rise to the NBA ranks.
Robert Williams is a wild card for the Celtics, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports writes. Williams, who was the no. 27 overall pick in the 2018 draft, is Boston big man with the highest ceiling.
The Celtics are playing it safe with Kemba Walker‘s return to the court, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports. Tuesday against the Cavs is a possible return date, as we detailed earlier today, but Blakely says that the need for caution “cannot be overstated.”

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