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Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Simmons, Celtics, Lowry

June 5th, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Joel Embiid has been listed as questionable for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Sixers center will undergo further treatment and workouts before his status is determined for the Sunday afternoon game, Charania adds.

Embiid hasn’t played since suffering a small meniscus tear in his right knee on Monday. He is considered day to day, and his availability will depend on how the knee responds.

Embiid was limited to individual workouts during practices today and Friday, according to Ky Carlin of USA Today’s Sixers Wire. Embiid didn’t join his teammates for any live-ball activities at either session.

“The same,” coach Doc Rivers said when asked for an update on Embiid’s condition. “He did a little bit on the floor, no live, I can say that today. Just he did what he could do.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The uncertainty surrounding Embiid gives Ben Simmons a chance to cement his legacy with the Sixers, writes Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Simmons helped close out the Wizards with a triple-double in Game 5, but the Hawks should be a more difficult challenge. Hayes points out that Rivers and first-year president of basketball operations Daryl Morey inherited Simmons from the previous regime and may not hesitate to move on from him if they don’t believe he can help them win a title.
  • Celtics assistant Scott Morrison will interview for the team’s head coaching vacancy, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The 43-year-old Morrison earned G League Coach of the Year honors in 2015 with the Maine Red Claws and has been part of Brad Stevens’ staff since 2017. Fellow Boston assistant Jerome Allen, who has also been confirmed for an interview with the Celtics, will interview for the Trail Blazers’ head coaching spot as well, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
  • The Raptors will have plenty of competition for Kyle Lowry in free agency this summer, with the Lakers, Heat, Knicks and Sixers all expected to pursue him, writes Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. He notes that Lowry said, “Money talks, and years talk” in his postseason press conference, indicating the veteran point guard will be looking for a multiyear offer.
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Atlantic Notes: Green, Knicks Offseason, Embiid

June 4th, 2021 at 5:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets forward Jeff Green will miss Game 1 of the conference semifinals series with the Bucks due to a left plantar fascia strain, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Green is one of the primary options to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo and he’s considered day-to-day beyond Saturday’s game, according to another Lewis tweet. “He wasn’t necessarily earmarked to guard Giannis but we’ll miss him in a number of ways,” coach Steve Nash said. Green hasn’t played since Game 2 of the opening-round series against Boston.

We have more on the Atlantic Division teams:

  • In the aftermath of their first-round exit against Atlanta, the Knicks can start taking bigger steps to contention, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes. They have youth in their rotation, five first-round picks in the next three years and nearly $60MM in salary-cap space, which should lead to a brighter future if team president Leon Rose converts those assets into impact players.
  • Determining whether Julius Randle can truly be the centerpiece of the team and which of their own free agents to bring back are among the questions hovering over the Knicks this offseason. Newsday’s Steve Popper takes a look at five issues confronting the front office this summer.
  • While it seems unlikely Joel Embiid will suit up for Game 1 against the Hawks on Sunday, coach Doc Rivers hasn’t ruled out the possibility, according to an Associated Press report. The Sixers All-Star center has a small meniscus tear in his right knee. “He’s got to go through his treatment,” Rivers said. “As far as when we were doing shooting and stuff like that, he looked great. It’s too early (to rule him out).”
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Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Simmons, Harden, Randle

June 2nd, 2021 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid‘s status is uncertain after being diagnosed with a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, but the team remains hopeful that he’ll be able to return sometime during the playoffs. In a session with reporters this afternoon, head coach Doc Rivers was asked if he thinks Embiid will be back on the court this postseason, tweets Derek Bodner of The Athletic.

“Yeah, I do. Or at least I’m hopeful, I think that would be a better way of putting it,” Rivers replied. “He’s going to do his treatment and we’re going to assess him day to day, and see what we can get.” When asked specifically about the second round, Rivers said, “I have no expectation, other than I hope for him to be back. I can’t give you a timeline. … I can just tell you that he’s willing to go through whatever it takes to get back on the floor. He’s a warrior.” (Twitter link).

Embiid was dominant in the first three games of Philadelphia’s first-round series with Washington, averaging 29.3 points per night as the Sixers took a 3-0 lead. He played just 11 minutes in Game 4 before leaving with knee soreness, and the Wizards were able to remain alive, setting up a potentially pivotal game tonight.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Rivers defended his other star after the Wizards took advantage of Ben Simmons‘ poor free throw shooting in the Game 4 victory, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Washington committed four intentional fouls on Simmons, who missed three free throws in the final two minutes. “You want me to take Ben Simmons off the floor? He’s pretty good. I’ll pass on that suggestion,” Rivers said. “He could have (made more free throws) but he didn’t. But he still does other things. I’ll take that. Listen, keep the narrative going, we’re just going to keep playing.”
  • The Nets quickly shifted their focus to a second-round series with the Bucks after finishing off the Celtics Tuesday night, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN. “I’m thinking about them right now,” James Harden said at the post-game press conference. “Just the matchups and things that they do on both ends of the ball. Obviously, we know how good they are on both sides and their individual talents.”
  • The Knicks aren’t giving much attention to provocative comments from Hawks center Clint Capela, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “Don’t care, don’t care, don’t care,” Julius Randle said. “I just heard about it and I do not care. We’re not focused on that. We’re focused on what we’ve got to do as a team.”
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Joel Embiid Has Small Meniscus Tear, Out For Game 5

June 2nd, 2021 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have provided an official update on Joel Embiid‘s status, announcing (via Twitter) that an MRI on the big man’s injured right knee revealed a small lateral meniscus tear.

Embiid will be sidelined for Game 5 on Wednesday, according to the Sixers. However, the club has yet to rule him out beyond that, stating that he’ll be considered day-to-day going forward. His injury will be managed with a physical therapy and treatment program.

While it’s good news that Embiid doesn’t have a more serious injury, any level of meniscus tear is worrisome, so it’s hardly a best-case scenario for the 76ers.

Multiple treatment options are available for meniscus injuries, including surgery, but it sounds like the club will opt not to have its All-Star center go under the knife, since that would result in an absence of at least multiple weeks, if not months.

Even with no surgery, I wouldn’t count on Embiid necessarily being ready to return within the next few days. Managing swelling and pain in his right knee will play a significant part in how soon he’s able to play again, notes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

With Embiid unavailable, the Sixers figure to lean more heavily on frontcourt players like Dwight Howard and Mike Scott in Game 5 on Wednesday. Philadelphia has a 3-1 lead and can close out its first-round series with a win over the Wizards.

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Joel Embiid Doubtful To Play In Game 5

June 1st, 2021 at 4:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Joel Embiid will be listed as doubtful for Game 5 of the Sixers’ first-round series against the Wizards on Wednesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. He had an MRI on his right knee on Tuesday, and is expected to be evaluated further prior to the game.

The fact that Embiid won’t be listed as out could be construed as a good sign that at least the injury isn’t serious. Embiid played 11 minutes on Monday before retreating to the locker room after taking a hard fall.

Washington remained alive in the series by winning Game 4 and the Wizards have a legitimate chance to rally back from a 3-0 deficit if Embiid can’t play or is limited the rest of the series. According to the latest injury report from the Wizards (Twitter link), Russell Westbrook will play in Game 5 after originally being listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain.

Dwight Howard and Mike Scott would likely pick up the bulk of Embiid’s minutes if he can’t play, though coach Doc Rivers could opt for smaller lineups.

Embiid underwent surgery on his left knee in 2017 and has dealt with soreness in that knee at times. He averaged 29.3 PPG in Philadelphia’s three victories in the series.

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Injury Notes: Embiid, Bertans, Celtics, CP3

June 1st, 2021 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

As we relayed on Monday evening, Sixers center Joel Embiid left Game 4 vs. Washington due to right knee soreness after playing just 11 minutes. After the game, head coach Doc Rivers said that Embiid would undergo an MRI on the injured knee on Tuesday, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Rivers was unsure whether Embiid would be available for Game 5 on Wednesday.

While the Sixers will need a healthy Embiid to make a serious run at the NBA Finals, the club is confident that it can win one more game against the Wizards and advance to the second round with or without its All-Star center.

“We’re going to need him to be the last team standing, to win,” Sixers guard Danny Green said, per Windhorst. “It doesn’t mean we can’t win the next game without him.”

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

  • Wizards forward Davis Bertans was having his best game of the playoffs on Monday before a right calf strain forced him to exit the game early. It’s the same injury that sidelined him for two weeks in March, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, who reports that Bertans will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
  • The Celtics have listed Kemba Walker (left knee bone bruise) and Robert Williams (left ankle sprain) as doubtful for Game 5 on Tuesday. If Walker and Williams don’t play in tonight’s game, their seasons may be over, since Boston is on the brink of elimination, down 3-1 to Brooklyn.
  • Suns guard Chris Paul (right shoulder contusion) “didn’t do a ton” at Monday’s practice, according to head coach Monty Williams, but it was a light day of work in general for the team (Twitter link via Gina Mizell). Paul is listed as probable for Game 5 on Tuesday and seems very likely to suit up.
  • In case you missed it, All-Star Lakers big man Anthony Davis (left groin strain) is considered unlikely to be available for Game 5 vs. Phoenix. He’s officially listed as questionable.
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Embiid Leaves Playoff Game With Knee Soreness

May 31st, 2021 at 7:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Joel Embiid will not return to Game 4 of the Sixers’ first-round series against Washington with right knee soreness, the team tweets.

Embiid played 11 minutes on Monday before retreating to the locker room. Initial speculation was that Embiid had a tailbone injury after taking a fall, but the team’s official announcement could be even more ominous.

Embiid underwent surgery on his left knee in 2017 and has dealt with soreness in that knee at times.

An extended absence for Embiid, who averaged 29.3 PPG in Philadelphia’s three victories in the series, would obviously be a crushing blow to the Sixers’ title hopes. If the Sixers are able to close out the series quickly, it would buy more time for Embiid to heal for the conference semifinals.

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Sixers Notes: Embiid, Wiz Series, Wells Fargo Center, Doc

May 30th, 2021 at 3:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Sixers center Joel Embiid showed off his MVP-caliber bona fides with his play in Game 3 of Philadelphia’s first-round series against the Wizards, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Embiid scored his efficient 36 points in a variety of ways. He shot 14-of-18 from the floor and 3-of-4 from deep.

“Joel is a special talent,” Wizards All-Star swingman Bradley Beal acknowledged. “He plays like a guard, it’s kind of crazy.” The Sixers won in resounding fashion: the final score was 132-103.

There’s more out of the City of Brotherly Love:

  • The Sixers are exploiting a notable size advantage in their series against the Wizards, observes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sixers reserve center Dwight Howard assessed his current team’s vertical edge against his former club. “I just think that the lineup we present with Joel being 7’2″, 300 [pounds is imposing],” Howard said. “We got some big guards. In our second unit, I’m a little bit undersized [6’10”] as a center, but I like the way we are set up.” The Wizards added 6’10” power forward Davis Bertans to their starting lineup and subtracted 6’1″ guard Raul Neto in an effort to counteract the size of the Sixers.
  • The Sixers will return to full fan capacity for their home floor, Wells Fargo Arena, on June 2, tweets Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Bodner adds that the previously-projected return date for full crowd attendance was June 11.
  • After striving to keep a Celtics superstar core happy en route to the 2008 title, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers has thus far appeared up to the task in Philadelphia, too, says Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sielski notes that Rivers and his staff’s strategy has been to bring out the best from their top player, Embiid, while accentuating the skillset of ancillary star point guard Ben Simmons. “You just communicate it to them,” Rivers said. “But everyone doesn’t have it. A lot of guys want to play the way they play, no matter what. In my opinion, that eventually doesn’t work. If everybody on every team got to play the exact same way that they only wanted to play, I don’t know if you can win that way. It’s tough.”
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Finalists For Major 2020/21 NBA Awards Announced

May 20th, 2021 at 6:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

During a TNT broadcast ahead of tonight’s Wizards-Pacers play-in matchup, the finalists for six big end-of-season 2020/21 awards were announced. Here is the full list, as voted on by reporters.

NBA Most Valuable Player:

NBA Defensive Player of the Year:

NBA Rookie of the Year:

NBA Most Improved Player:

NBA Sixth Man of the Year:

NBA Coach of the Year:

  • Quin Snyder (Jazz)
  • Tom Thibodeau (Knicks)
  • Monty Williams (Suns)

Some of these current contenders are familiar with the hardware they’re up for again. Curry is a two-time MVP, having won the award previously in 2015 and 2016. Gobert and Green have both previously won Defensive Player of the Year awards — Green in 2017 and Gobert in 2018 and 2019. Thibodeau was voted Coach of the Year a decade ago while with the Bulls.

The winners for the awards will be announced during the 2020/21 NBA playoffs.

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Atlantic Notes: Lowry, M. James, Embiid, Knicks, Nets

May 18th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked today about his upcoming free agency, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry mentioned a number of factors that he’ll consider as he makes his decision, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Lowry cited family considerations as one important factor, along with “money” and “years,” as well as his desire to win more championships (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca).

Perhaps most interestingly, Lowry suggested his future may be tied in part to that of president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, who is the Raptors’ other key free agent this summer: “I told him this, the only reason I’m still here is because of him. Part of the reason I re-signed here twice is because of him. That is a large part of why I am able to be who I am and gotten to this point.”

Based on Lowry’s comments about prioritizing family and competing for titles, Eric Koreen of The Athletic believes the six-time All-Star is probably more likely to join a new team than to return to the Raptors. However, Lowry also hinted that he may have unfinished business with his current club after a disappointing 2020/21 season spent away from Toronto.

“It does play a factor in it because I enjoy the challenge of people counting me out, counting the team out,” Lowry said. “I enjoy that competitive nature, and I wanna challenge myself and see what I can continue to help do and build. But a lot of things will be factored into this summer and this free agency. The unfinished business thing is part of it, a little bit.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • There has been an expectation that Mike James‘ stint with the Nets will be temporary, since he remains under contract with EuroLeague powerhouse CSKA Moscow through 2022/23. However, international reporter Chema de Lucas tweets that James may try to stay in the NBA beyond this season, and Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.com suggests CSKA Moscow would be open to that idea if they can save some money and keep James away from their European rivals.
  • When Joel Embiid suffered a knee injury on March 12 that was later diagnosed as a bone bruise, he initially feared that it would be a season-ender, he tells ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, who published an in-depth feature on the Sixers center. “As soon as I fell, the first thing that I’m thinking is: ‘My season is over,'” Embiid said. Having avoided a major injury such as an ACL tear, the big man returned to action just three weeks later, on April 3.
  • Loosened restrictions on gathering in New York mean that the Knicks and Nets are in position to significantly increase their arena capacities for the postseason, as Steve Popper of Newsday details.
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