Joel Embiid Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Get Good News On Embiid’s Shoulder

February 27th, 2020 at 9:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers defeated the Knicks on Thursday without center Joel Embiid, then got promising news on his injured left shoulder.

Tests shows no significant structural damage, as he’s been diagnosed with a sprain, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Embiid’s progress will be symptom-based and he’ll be re-evaluated in approximately one week, Charania adds.

Embiid suffered the injury against Cleveland on Wednesday. He collided with Cleveland big man Ante Zizic late in the first quarter. Embiid remained in the game to shoot two free throws, then was taken out at the next stoppage.

The Sixers scheduled an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.

Philadelphia is down its two best players. Ben Simmons is out for at least the next two weeks because of a nerve impingement in his lower back.

Without Embiid, the Sixers relied more on Al Horford (15 points, nine assists, seven rebounds) and Tobias Harris (34 points, seven assists, seven rebounds) against New York. Kyle O’Quinn also got more playing time and grabbed 10 rebounds in 14 minutes.

Joel Embiid Suffers Shoulder Sprain

February 26th, 2020 at 9:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:07pm: Embiid will undergo an MRI on Thursday, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

8:09pm: Sixers center Joel Embiid was pulled from tonight’s game in Cleveland after spraining his left shoulder, according to a story from the Associated Press. The team didn’t offer any specifics beyond the nature of the injury.

Embiid got hurt in a collision with Ante Zizic late in the first quarter. He remained in the game to shoot two free throws, but was taken out at the next stoppage. After walking to the locker room, Embiid briefly returned to the team bench in the second quarter, but left again for further evaluation.

A prolonged injury would come at a horrible time for the Sixers, who are already without Ben Simmons for at least the next two weeks because of a nerve impingement in his lower back. Philadelphia begins a four-game West Coast trip on Sunday.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Nets, Raptors, Celtics

February 26th, 2020 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Joel Embiid has received a $25K fine for making an obscene gesture on the court and using profane language during a TV interview, the NBA announced today in a press release. Embiid gave Kevin Huerter the middle finger following an end-of-game steal by the Hawks’ swingman (video link), then dropped an f-bomb during a live postgame interview (video link). According to the league’s announcement, the amount of Embiid’s fine “reflects his multiple prior violations of acceptable on-court decorum.”

Here are a few more notes from around the Atlantic:

Kyrie Irving made some waves last month when he suggested the Nets had “glaring” needs and would need to add more pieces even after Kevin Durant‘s return. However, in a WFAN appearance this week, GM Sean Marks said he welcomes feedback from his star players. “I always take a select handful of player’s opinions in terms of how we can build this,” Marks said. “We’ve done this since day one. Because these guys know the players better than anyone else. …They’ll be brutally honest because they’ve got to go play with those guys. I think it’s important to weigh their opinions from time to time.”
In a Q&A with Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, Raptors guard Terence Davis talked about his rookie season and his first impressions of living in Toronto, declaring that he’s “in love with the city.”
The Raptors were searching for more scoring at this month’s trade deadline, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Besides its 2020 first-round pick, Toronto didn’t really have any expendable trade assets of value, so the club ultimately ended up standing pat.
Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston examines a few potential – and oft-mentioned – targets on the buyout market for the Celtics, explaining why most of them are unlikely fits.

Atlantic Notes: Allen, Langford, Knicks, Sixers

February 23rd, 2020 at 2:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nets starting center Jarrett Allen has accepted his recent benching in fourth quarters, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Coach Kenny Atkinson has favored $40MM backup center DeAndre Jordan to close out games.

“You get the feeling of what’s going to happen when you hit around the eight-minute mark, whether you’re going to go in or not,” Allen told Lewis. “If they’re vibing then go ahead and let them vibe, let them go out and win it. So I’m not tripping over that.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Rookie Celtics shooting guard Romeo Langford has closed out three Boston victories thus far in February as a defensive stopper, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. The 6’4″ wing out of Indiana, the No. 14 pick in the 2019 lottery, appreciates the faith that coach Brad Stevens has in Langford’s growing abilities on that side of the ball. “It’s good that (Stevens) already, like, trusts me,” Langord said. “So I’ve just got to go out there and deliver.”
As the Knicks continue to rework their public perception under newly-hired brand consultant Steve Stoute, they may try to improve relations with past New York heroes, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. “As a New York fan, as a friend of Charles Oakley, as somebody a part of the Knicks organization, of course, I would love to see that subsided and bring that back,” Stoute mentioned in an appearance on ESPN’s First Take.
The Sixers have underperformed relative to preseason expectations this year, but the dynamic between All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons may not be the root of the issue, per ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry. Goldsberry points to their club’s unending roster churn over the years and a lack of sharpshooting depth as the prime culprits. That said, at 35-22, the Sixers sit just 1.5 games behind the 36-20 Heat in competing for a top-four Eastern Conference playoff seed.

Embiid On Perceived Issues With Simmons: “It’s B.S.”

February 15th, 2020 at 12:02pm CST by marksuleymanov

As the Sixers have struggled to maintain offensive consistency this season, the dynamic between Philadelphia’s top two players, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons has received some scrutiny.

During NBA All-Star media day on Saturday, Embiid addressed the chatter that he and Simmons struggle to co-exist.

“I think it’s B.S. because when you look at the last couple years, the last two years we’ve been playing together, it was not a problem,” Embiid said, via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). “The issue is only a problem because at times our offense has struggled. I think it’s definitely going to be better after the All-Star break.”

Entering the All-Star break, the Sixers wield a 34-21 record, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Simmons and Embiid, meanwhile, are enjoying typically strong individual seasons.

Embiid, now a three-time All-Star, is averaging 22.9 PPG and 11.9 RPG through 39 contests. Both numbers are down from last season, however, as he has battled some injuries. As for Simmons, he’s averaging 16.9 PPG, 8.3 APG, 7.9 RPG and an NBA-best 2.2 SPG. While the rotation for Philadelphia needs to find consistency, Simmons insists that coexisting alongside Embiid is not an issue.

“It takes time, not everything is supposed to be perfect. We’re two different people trying to figure it out,” Simmons said during his media session (via Mark Media of USA Today). “I love playing with Joel, I think he’s an amazing talent and I respect his game. I know he feels the same way about me so as long as we continue to strive and go the right way, we’ll be fine.”

Sixers Notes: Horford, Richardson, Embiid, Shamet

February 12th, 2020 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Al Horford wasn’t in the starting lineup last night for the first time since his rookie season, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Sixers coach Brett Brown met with Horford on Monday to explain the lineup change, which included starting Furkan Korkmaz at small forward and shifting Tobias Harris to power forward. Horford said he’s willing to accept his new role, even though it’s not what he expected when he signed a four-year, $109MM deal with Philadelphia last summer.

“Obviously, not the position that I saw myself in, but it’s what was best for the team,” he said after the game. ” … I honestly don’t think it changes much from what I was doing before.”

Although Horford seemed like an ideal candidate to play alongside Joel Embiid, the two big men haven’t been able to get their games to mesh, adds Bontemps, who suggests that Horford now faces the possibility of being on the bench in the closing minutes of playoff games.

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Josh Richardson‘s absence has been an overlooked reason for the Sixers’ recent slump, Bontemps adds in the same piece. Richardson returned to the starting lineup Tuesday for the first time since a hamstring injury on January 22 and posted a plus-24 rating in 31 minutes.
Embiid’s ongoing drama with Philly fans continued as he was booed during introductions for the third consecutive game, but he got them cheering with a 26-point, nine-rebound performance, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We are all human beings. If I can take it, then everybody else can take it, too,” Embiid said. “We learn from it and we move on. I got to do a better job. They got to do a better job. I understand where they come from. But then again, if you dish it, you got to be able to take it back. But at the end of the day in my location … it’s all love.”
Landry Shamet was angry when he learned that he had been traded from the 76ers to the Clippers last season, but he quickly got over it, relays Mark Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Shamet, who returned to Philadelphia last night for the first time since the deal, was having a strong rookie season for the Sixers before being included in the package L.A. received in exchange for Harris. “You realize you have been traded and you have to move so it was kind of a roller coaster at first, but once you get settled, especially once I got that first game under my belt, I realized the makeup of the team and where I was and realized it was a good situation,” Shamet said.

Latest On Joel Embiid, Sixers

February 11th, 2020 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Things have felt a little off in Philadelphia this season. Widely considered a top-two team in the Eastern Conference entering the season, the fifth-seeded Sixers have fallen short of those expectations so far and have struggled to smoothly incorporate major offseason signee Al Horford.

Franchise center Joel Embiid hasn’t been immune to the ups and downs of the 76ers’ season, having spoken last week about wanting to “get back to the fun Joel.” On Sunday, when Philadelphia hosted the Bulls, Embiid heard some boos from fans during pre-game intros and later appeared to shush the home crowd and say “Shut the f–k up” after hitting a dagger three in the fourth quarter (video link via Michael Lee of The Athletic).

Embiid, who claimed after the game that his comment was aimed at himself and not Philadelphia fans, said he didn’t care how it looked, adding that he wants to get back to being a “good a–hole.” On Monday, he posted an Instagram photo of that shushing moment, accompanied by the caption, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

Not content to leave it at that, Embiid later exchanged comments with Heat swingman Jimmy Butler, who replied to his former teammate’s Instagram post with the message, “I know a place where villains are welcome,” an apparent reference to Miami. Embiid’s response? “Damn right my brother.” (hat tip to Bleacher Report).

It’s premature to read too much into Embiid’s on-court actions on Sunday and his social media posts after the game. Considering the way the 76ers’ season has played out, the big man was probably just letting out some frustration and then engaging in some light trolling. He published a tweet later on Monday night reasserting his commitment to Philadelphia.

Still, given the ongoing drama, this is a situation worth keeping an eye on. When the Sixers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs last spring, head coach Brett Brown‘s job security seemed tenuous, and if the team doesn’t advance even further in this year’s postseason, changes of some kind are probably coming.

A head coaching change and/or secondary roster moves are much more likely than anything drastic involving Embiid or Ben Simmons, but teams around the NBA are monitoring the situation. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his podcast this week (hat tip to RealGM) that rival executives have started to openly wonder whether the Sixers would consider moving Embiid. As Windhorst acknowledged, that’s an extremely unlikely scenario, but it’s notable that execs don’t believe it’s an impossibility.

“My point is people are talking about that,” Windhorst said, per RealGM. “I don’t think they would do that without making an adjustment to the head coach. It’s such a radical thing. But the fact that we’re in mid-February and the people who work in the league, who have to prepare in advance, are mulling over Joel Embiid potentially coming to market, whether that’s true or not… I mean, (Sixers owner) Josh Harris can come on this podcast and deny it if he wants, but the fact people are talking about it, is not good. It’s a symptom of where they are.”

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Celtics, Horford, Embiid, Ujiri

February 7th, 2020 at 4:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics did not trade for a center but they’ll get another back in action soon. Robert Williams could return by the end of the month, according to Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in a radio interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub that Williams, who hasn’t played since December 6 due to a hip injury, should be ready in a few weeks. “Robert Williams is progressing,” Ainge said. “He was out working on the court (Thursday). He’s starting his transition back into all the live action, and we anticipate him being back with us somewhere in the neighborhood of March 1.” Williams was averaging 3.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.1 BPG in 19 games prior to his injury.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Ainge sat the Celtics stood pat because he couldn’t find a deal that made sense, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston reports. Ainge didn’t want to pay a premium price for a second-unit addition. “I hear people talking about why we didn’t do a deal. A lot of times people want us to get the first- or second-best player on another team,” Ainge said. “Those players are expensive and, if we brought them here, they would be the seventh-, eighth-, or ninth-best player on our team.”
Forward Al Horford is looking for a silver lining to the Sixers’ four-game losing streak entering Friday’s action, Malika Andrews of ESPN relays. “It’s like finding ourselves,” he said. “Trying to figure it out. I think good is going to come out of this.” Philadelphia has won just nine road games, and center Joel Embiid believes he needs to be a little more upbeat. “I’m trying to get back to the fun Joel,” Embiid said. “Smile a little more. The whole season I told myself I was going to be serious. I felt like everyone looked at [me] in a way that I’m moody or I might not care. I do. I want to win.”
Even though the Knicks hired Leon Rose as team president, speculation over Masai Ujiri’s future will continue to grow unless he signs a new contract with the Raptors, according to Michael Grange of SportsNet Canada. There have been preliminary discussions between Ujiri and the team’s ownership group but nothing has changed regarding the Raptors president’s desire to put off his contract status until this summer, according to Grange. Ujiri’s contract runs out after next season.

Sixers Notes: Young, Embiid, Smith

January 28th, 2020 at 5:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Thaddeus Young may make sense as a trade target for the Sixers, as I wrote for Heavy.com. Young, who is in the first year of a three-year contract with Chicago, would give coach Brett Brown another option to stagger the frontcourt minutes, which would ultimately allow Joel Embiid and Al Horford to remain fresh.

Here’s more from Philadelphia:

Joel Embiid will start vs. the Warriors after seeing a hand specialist during pregame, Derek Bodner of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). Embiid has missed the past nine games for the Sixers and the team went 6-3 in his absence.
Zhaire Smith is available to play for the Sixers tonight, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Smith injured his ankle on Saturday after playing just three minutes in his season debut.
Brett Brown said he can’t imagine Ben Simmons not making his second straight All-Star appearance, as Pompey relays on Twitter. Brown also mentioned Tobias Harris as a candidate.

Atlantic Notes: Anunoby, Kanter, Embiid, VanVleet

January 25th, 2020 at 2:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Much like they did with current All-Star Pascal Siakam and swingman Norman Powell, the Raptors are determined to turn erratic third-year forward OG Anunoby into a consistent, high-level contributor, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.

“I think he needs more reps,” coach Nick Nurse reflected. “He needs some more chances to go out there and develop his game, and that’s got to be on me a little bit.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers center Joel Embiid hopes to resume his All-Star season on the floor next week, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Embiid underwent surgery January 10 to repair a torn radial collateral ligament in his left ring finger.
Due to a right hip contusion, Celtics center Enes Kanter will not return to action until at least Tuesday against the Heat, Brad Stevens relayed to Boston’s team Twitter account (link). In just 18.5 minutes per night, Kanter has produced impressive averages of 9.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 60.2% field goal shooting.
Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet, an unrestricted free agent in 2020, could be a great fit for the Knicks, Greg Joyce of the New York Post suggests. VanVleet, the best point guard in a limited free agent class, should be in line for a major pay upgrade from the two-year, $18MM contract he signed in 2018.