Joel Embiid Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Joel Embiid Out Indefinitely With Orbital Fracture, Concussion

April 29th, 2022 at 9:10pm CST by Rory Maher

9:10pm: Like Neubeck, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN hears from sources that Embiid’s orbital fracture might not require surgery. He’ll be reevaluated next week but will miss a minimum of five days due to the concussion. With the caveat that there’s still no timetable for his potential return, sources tell Shelburne that “the door isn’t closed” on that possibility (Twitter links).

7:57pm: Sixers star Joel Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture and mild concussion in the team’s Game 6 victory over Toronto on Thursday, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), who says the center will be sidelined with no timetable for a return.

The Sixers have confirmed the news, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice (Twitter link). Embiid will be listed as out and his status will be updated “as appropriate.”

As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps notes (via Twitter), the injury appeared to occur when Embiid was hit in the face by an inadvertent elbow from Pascal Siakam late in the fourth quarter of the 132-97 blowout win. Philadelphia was up 29 points at the time, with only four minutes remaining, Derek Bodner of The Daily Six newsletter tweets.

Embiid had already been playing through pain for the past week after he tore a ligament in his right thumb in Game 3 of the first-round series, which will require surgery in the offseason.

Obviously, it’s devastating news for both Embiid personally and for Philadelphia’s title hopes. Any prolonged absence will have a profound impact on the team’s upcoming series against Miami, which starts on Monday. The Heat are the No. 1 seed in the East and hold home-court advantage over the No. 4 Sixers.

The 28-year-old big man is an MVP finalist for the second consecutive season after a phenomenal regular season in which he averaged a league-best 30.6 points along with 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks on .499/.371/.814 shooting in 68 games (33.8 minutes). Despite playing through the torn thumb ligament for three-plus games, he averaged an impressive 26.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the team’s six-game series win over the Raptors.

This is the second orbital fracture Embiid has sustained in his career, Neubeck writes in a story for PhillyVoice. The first occurred on the left side of his face in 2018, with Embiid undergoing surgery and ultimately missing 22 days and 10 games (including two playoff games), which is the average recovery timeline for the injury, per Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com (Twitter thread). There’s no indication yet that a surgery will be required this time around, Neubeck notes.

With Embiid sidelined, the Sixers will lean heavily on James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris for offense, but there will be a giant hole in the middle of the lineup with their best player out. Backup big men Paul Reed, DeAndre Jordan and Paul Millsap are candidates to see additional action in Embiid’s stead.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Harden, J. Brown, T. Young, Knicks

April 26th, 2022 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

After winning the first three games of their series vs. the Raptors, the Sixers have now dropped two consecutive close-out opportunities and will head back to Toronto clinging to a 3-2 lead. Star center Joel Embiid, who tore a ligament in his right thumb in Game 3, said after Monday’s loss that he wants to make an effort going forward not to favor that injury quite so much.

“I’m in a situation where I try to protect it,” Embiid said (Twitter link via Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “Before I even attack or if I get the ball, it’s almost like I’m not playing freely where I’m like, ‘Well, if I do this, I might get hit or I might get hurt.'”

Embiid also told reporters on Monday night that his All-Star teammate James Harden, who attempted just 11 shots from the field and had 15 points in Game 5, needs to be more aggressive on the offensive end, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays.

“I’ve been saying all season since he got here, he needs to be aggressive and he needs to be himself,” Embiid said. “That’s not really my job. That’s probably on Coach (Doc Rivers) to talk to him and tell him to take more shots, especially if they’re going to guard me the way they’ve been guarding. But that’s really not my job.”

No team in NBA history has blown a 3-0 series lead. If they can get a home victory on Thursday, the Raptors would be just the fourth team (of 145) to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-0, which would put a ton of pressure on the 76ers to close out the series on Saturday at home.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Celtics wing Jaylen Brown earned another one of his contract bonuses on Monday due to the team’s first-round series victory. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter), advancing to the second round assured Brown of an extra $482,143 this season.
The Raptors‘ decision to give up a first-round pick for Thaddeus Young at February’s trade deadline may look short-sighted if he leaves in free agency this summer, but he has provided intangible value to the team through his veteran leadership and understanding of the game, says Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Additionally, since the Raptors acquired a second-rounder from San Antonio in the Young deal, they only ended up moving down 13 spots in the draft, from No. 20 to No. 33.
In his latest mailbag, Fred Katz of The Athletic addresses a series of offseason questions facing the Knicks, weighing in on Mitchell Robinson‘s upcoming free agency, whether Tyus Jones or Malcolm Brogdon make sense as offseason targets, and more.

Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Taylor Jenkins Fined By NBA

April 25th, 2022 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

12:05pm: Sixers center Joel Embiid has also been fined $15K for publicly criticizing the officiating following a loss on Saturday, according to the NBA. Embiid mockingly applauded the referees as he left the court following a Game 4 loss to Toronto, then sarcastically praised them during his post-game press conference, insinuating they wanted to push the series to a Game 5.

“I’m going to take my own advice and not complain about fouls,” he said, “but like I was doing at the end of the game: They did a great job. I admire the job that they did today. To me, it felt like they had one job coming in here tonight. And they got it done. Congrats to them, tonight.”

11:57am: Jazz center Rudy Gobert was fined $25K by the NBA on Sunday for “using profane language during a live television interview,” the league announced in a press release.

The fine stems from Gobert’s comments in a live, post-game interview following Utah’s Game 4 win over Dallas on Saturday. Asked by Matt Winer of NBA TV about the Jazz’s potential in this postseason, Gobert replied, “Man, f— the talk,” referring to the ongoing speculation about the team being headed for an early playoff exit and a summer roster overhaul (video link).

Meanwhile, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins was hit with a $15K fine by the NBA on Monday for his own comments to the media after Memphis lost Game 4 in Minnesota on Saturday. The league said in its statement that Jenkins was penalized for “public criticism of the officiating.”

“In my opinion, one of the most poorly officiated games I’ve ever seen in my NBA career,” Jenkins said on Saturday, noting that many of his starters were in foul trouble from the first quarter onward (video link). “… I’ve never seen a more inconsistent and arrogant officated game.”

Jenkins expected to be fined when he made those comments after the loss, telling reporters that he’d “take whatever hit’s coming my way” in order to protect and advocate for his players.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Embiid, Celtics, Griffin, Irving

April 24th, 2022 at 8:06pm CST by JD Shaw

In order to maximize their chances of winning a championship, the Sixers need to reinvent themselves around an injured Joel Embiid, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. Embiid is dealing with ligament damage to his thumb and will undergo surgery after the playoffs.

As we relayed, he has no intention of sitting out, but he clearly seemed bothered by the injury in Game 4. The MVP candidate still finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, but he was frequently grabbing at his hand during stoppages of play.

The Sixers have enough talent around Embiid to close out their series against the Raptors, but advancing beyond the second round without his usual level of production would be difficult. Embiid is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 50% shooting.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe takes a look at the Celtics’ hopes to bring the All-Star Game back to Boston. The Celtics are preparing a bid, Washburn notes, as Boston hasn’t hosted an All-Star Game since 1964. The team would likely look to host in 2025 or 2026.
Nets veteran Blake Griffin provided a lift off the bench in Game 3 against Boston, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. Griffin played for the first time since April 2, recording eight points in nearly eight minutes. He could see action again in Game 4 on Monday.
A trio of ESPN hosts — Stephen A. Smith, Jalen Rose and Michael Wilbon — ripped Nets star Kyrie Irving and believe the team shouldn’t sign him to a long-term deal, as relayed by Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Irving didn’t get vaccinated against COVID-19 and couldn’t play in home games until late March this season due to New York City’s vaccine requirement. That, combined with a midseason James Harden trade and key injuries, have harmed the Nets’ ability to build chemistry. Irving could decline a $36.5MM player option for next season and become a free agent this summer.

Joel Embiid Has Ligament Tear, Will Get Surgery After Playoffs

April 24th, 2022 at 1:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

An MRI has verified that Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid has suffered a right thumb ligament tear, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).

Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers has indicated that Embiid still intends to keep playing through the injury, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). The MVP finalist himself mentioned that he hoped to keep playing through the injury ahead of the MRI. Ligament damage had been anticipated, based on an initial exam earlier in the week.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that Embiid will need surgery to treat the ligament tear, but noted that the Sixers will hold off on an operation until their current postseason run concludes. The 76ers currently lead the Raptors 3-1 in their first-round matchup.

Embiid, a five-time All-Star and one of the three contenders for MVP honors this season, enjoyed a monumental regular season, averaging 30.6 PPG, 11.7 RPG and 4.2 APG in 68 games, with shooting splits of .499/.371/.814. He is averaging 26 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG across the first four games of Philadelphia’s first-round series with Toronto.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harris, Lineup Changes

April 23rd, 2022 at 9:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid insists that his sprained right thumb won’t cause him to miss any playoff games, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. A report earlier today said an initial exam showed a ligament tear, but that can’t be confirmed until Embiid undergoes an MRI, which will happen when the team returns to Philadelphia.

He managed to play 39 minutes in today’s game while wearing a wrap on his thumb and a brace on his hand. Afterward, he told reporters that he’ll wait for the offseason if he needs to have surgery.

“I want to play, so obviously got to listen to what they have to say,” Embiid said, referring to the team’s medical staff. “So, I would imagine that I keep playing and probably do something after the season.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Embiid may face a fine for his reaction to the officiating after today’s loss, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid gave a “golf clap” to the referees as he left the court after the game and later insinuated that they were trying to force the series to a fifth game. “I’m going to take my own advice and not complain about fouls,” he said, “but like I was doing at the end of the game: They did a great job. I admire the job that they did today. To me, it felt like they had one job coming in here tonight. And they got it done. Congrats to them, tonight.”
Tobias Harris is dealing with a blood spot in his left eye as a result of being hit during Game 3, Pompey tweets. He’s able to play through it, logging 41 minutes in today’s game. Meanwhile, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia examines how Harris has accepted a new role in the offense since the trade for James Harden in February. “Tobias has had to make more changes than anybody on our team,” coach Doc Rivers said. “And he keeps doing it without complaint, and it’s such a great example for what a good teammate should be. And he’s been doing it every night.”
The Sixers, who were 16-16 on Christmas Day, were able to reinvent themselves as the season went along, observes Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia. They have the fourth-best record in the league since then and were still evolving heading into the playoffs, Frank adds. Tyrese Maxey and Georges Niang became more reliable long-distance shooters, Paul Reed took over as the backup center, Furkan Korkmaz and Matisse Thybulle had their playing time cut and Harden has given them an accomplished playmaker.

Eastern Notes: Embiid, Williams, Adebayo, Durant

April 23rd, 2022 at 2:34pm CST by JD Shaw

Sixers superstar Joel Embiid is playing in Game 4 against the Raptors on Saturday despite dealing with a thumb injury. An initial exam revealed that Embiid may have suffered ligament damage, but an MRI is still needed to confirm that, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link).

Head coach Doc Rivers admitted on Saturday that there’s concern about the injury.

“The one thing we know is it can’t get worse,” Rivers said, as tweeted by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.

Embiid clearly has no plans of sitting and will likely undergo an MRI when the team returns to Philly.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference today:

The Celtics aren’t taking any additional risks by playing Robert Williams III in Game 3, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. Williams has been recovering from torn meniscus surgery and last played on March 27. “If you’re going to be working him hard and putting him through contact in practice to get him ready, there’s no real additional risk to having him do it in a game for a few minutes here and there,” an NBA medical source told Bulpett. “You’re not putting a lot on his shoulders, and you could be helping his progress.”
Heat center Bam Adebayo is once again struggling in the playoffs, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. After averaging 15.5 points on 46% shooting against the Bucks in last year’s first-round series, Adebayo has tallied just 28 total points through three games against the Hawks. He finished with 13 points on nine shots in Game 4, attempting only one shot in the fourth quarter. The Heat were outscored in that quarter by a score of 34-25.
Sam Amick of The Athletic examines how the Celtics have defended Nets superstar Kevin Durant, who has shot just 13-of-41 through two games (32%). Boston has one of the best defensive groups in the league, making it harder for Durant to get to his spots, abuse matchups and score.

Joel Embiid Dealing With Thumb Injury, Plans To Keep Playing

April 23rd, 2022 at 9:20am CST by Rory Maher

APRIL 23: Embiid will suit up today in a possible closeout Game 4 against the Raptors and then will will undergo an MRI on his injured right thumb after the Sixers travel back home, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

APRIL 22: Sixers MVP finalist Joel Embiid is dealing with pain in his right thumb, but was able to practice Friday and plans to play in Game 4 against Toronto, which takes place on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski. Embiid might undergo an MRI soon to see if he has a ligament injury.

The star center’s injury is listed as a right thumb sprain, but he will be available to play, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Embiid wore a brace on his wrist and had his thumb taped after a medical treatment session following the Game 3 victory on Wednesday, during which he hit the game-winning three-pointer at the end of overtime.

“I don’t know exactly know what happened,” Embiid said at his press conference on Wednesday, nearly two hours later. “But I just started feeling pain and think I might have twisted it. So we’re gonna see what’s going on [Thursday].” Embiid was adamant that he wouldn’t miss any games with the injury.

As Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice notes, if Philadelphia is able to close out its series against Toronto on Saturday, Embiid would receive an extra week of rest before facing the winner of the Miami/Atlanta series, which Miami currently leads 2-0. Embiid told reporters that his wrist and thumb were “sore, but okay.”

“He’s good,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “We did a lot of stuff, we just don’t want anybody to hit his arm and all that, but he was fine.”

Shortly after ESPN’s report, Shams Charania of The Athletic relayed (via Twitter) that “there is fear” that Embiid has a torn thumb ligament, but plans to keep playing despite the injury.

However, a source told Neubeck in a separate article for PhillyVoice that an official diagnosis would be premature due to the lack of testing done on the injury. The star center is expected to continue playing with the thumb taped, and the team’s medical staff will provide pain management.

Obviously, Embiid’s potential absence could have a profound impact on Philadelphia’s title hopes, but all signs point to the ailment being manageable at this point. Through three playoff games against Toronto, all victories, he has averaged 27.7 points and 13 rebounds on .510/.333/.794 shooting in 39.7 minutes per contest.

NBA Announces 2021/22 Award Finalists

April 17th, 2022 at 5:28pm CST by JD Shaw

The NBA has announced the 2021/22 season award finalists for the league’s six major awards: Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player.

The awards were voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The three top vote-getters for each award are the finalists. They are as follows:

Most Valuable Player:

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Joel Embiid (Sixers)
Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)

Rookie of the Year:

Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)

Sixth Man of the Year:

Tyler Herro (Heat)
Cameron Johnson (Suns)
Kevin Love (Cavaliers)

Coach of the Year:

Taylor Jenkins (Grizzlies)
Erik Spoelstra (Heat)
Monty Williams (Suns)

Defensive Player of the Year:

Mikal Bridges (Suns)
Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Marcus Smart (Celtics)

Most Improved Player:

Darius Garland (Cavaliers)
Ja Morant (Grizzlies)
Dejounte Murray (Spurs)

Winners will be announced during TNT’s coverage of the NBA playoffs, according to the league.

Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic Named Players Of The Week

April 11th, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Joel Embiid has been named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week for the final week of the 2021/22 regular season (April 4-10), while Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has won the award in the West, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

Embiid, putting a stamp on an MVP-caliber season, averaged 38.7 PPG, 14.3 RPG, and 2.7 APG on .609/.444/.757 shooting in three games (37.7 MPG) before resting in Philadelphia’s regular season finale on Sunday. The Sixers had a 3-1 week as Embiid earned his second Player of the Week award of the season.

Doncic, meanwhile, put up 30.3 PPG, 10.0 APG, and 9.0 RPG as the Mavs won their final three games of the season by an average margin of 26 points. It was his third Player of the Week award this season. Doncic’s season ended on a sour note though, as he left Sunday’s finale early due to a strained left calf. He’ll undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury.

Embiid beat out fellow nominees Pascal Siakam, Kevin Durant, and Obi Toppin in the East. The other Western nominees were Rudy Gobert and Klay Thompson (Twitter link).