Joel Embiid Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Updates: Embiid, Bullock, Hill, Ross

April 8th, 2018 at 8:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Joel Embiid has been cleared to begin light non-contact conditioning as the Sixers center continues his recovery from a concussion and orbital fracture, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. If he’s symptom-free from there, he can resume
on-court activities without contact, Pompey continues. The injuries occurred on March 28th and he had surgery on March 31st. The team is hopeful he can return at some point during the opening round of the playoffs, Pompey adds.

In other injury-related news from around the league:

Pistons shooting guard Reggie Bullock has been shut down for the rest of the season due to a swollen left knee, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports. Coach Stan Van Gundy has Bullock’s knee had gotten worse in recent weeks. “First, they want to see how he responds to rest, but then it’ll be anything from an injection to a scope, which would be the most serious, at four to six weeks, but nothing long-term,” he said. Bullock emerged as a starter this season, averaging 11.3 PPG and making 44.5% of his 3-point tries.
Cavs guard George Hill is hopeful of returning to action Monday after participating in practice on Sunday, according to AmicoHoops.net. Hill sat out the last two games with a sprained left ankle. “It was good to get back out there and get up and down the floor a little bit,” he said. “So, we’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”
Magic swingman Terrence Ross played 10 minutes Sunday and had a 3-pointer and two assists in his first game since late November, John Denton of the Magic’s website reports. Ross has been sidelined most of the season with a right knee injury and bone bruise. “I felt good and it was a tribute to all of the workouts and the work with the strength (and conditioning) coaches,’’ Ross said. “Just being able to play is the victory. It felt really good.’’

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Richardson, Fizdale, Morris

April 8th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Injured Sixers center Joel Embiid must pass through the NBA’s concussion protocol, but he has been free of concussion symptoms since March 29, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. That was the day after Embiid suffered an orbital bone fracture in a collision with teammate Markelle Fultz.

The team is hoping Embiid can be ready sometime during the first round of the playoffs. There are steps that Embiid has to meet before he can be cleared for full activity, but Pompey reports that the Sixers are confident he’ll be able to (Twitter link). Philadelphia has gone 5-0 without Embiid, but his 22.9 and 11.0 rebounds per night and his presence on defense will be important in the postseason.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Malachi Richardson envisions a long-term role with the Raptors, but for now he’s trying to prove himself in the G League, writes David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders. Richardson is averaging 7.2 points per game while helping Raptors 905 reach the championship series, which starts tonight. He has played just one NBA game since being acquired from the Kings in a deal at the deadline. He has one year left on his contract and is counting on a strong summer league performance to convince the organization he can be a rotation player. “I just have to keep getting better,” Richardson said. “From defending, making shots, fitting into a role, just finding my niche and getting good. Fitting in with the guys and getting better.”
When the Heat came to New York Friday, Dwyane Wade offered a suggestion if the Knicks plan to replace coach Jeff Hornacek once the season ends, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Wade advocated for David Fizdale, a longtime assistant in Miami, who fired earlier this season in Memphis. “He’s a phenomenal coach — everyone has seen that in the job he was able to do in Memphis [last season],’’ Wade said. “I definitely think his name will be in the running for a lot of jobs. He’s going to bring to a team his work ethic, a great offensive-minded coach, but has defensive principles from Miami [president] Pat Riley has installed in every coach that’s come here.”
Technicals have been an issue recently for Celtics forward Marcus Morris, who has been tossed from two games in the past week, but he promises to tone down his approach in the playoffs, according to Taylor Snow of NBA.com. “I promise I won’t get any techs unless we’re just getting blatantly cheated,” he said. “I want my team to win, so I won’t put my team in jeopardy or anything like that. But I’ll still be passionate about the game.”

Sixers Notes: Embiid, McConnell, Redick, LeBron

April 7th, 2018 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid will begin doing light cardio work as the first step toward returning from a fractured orbital bone, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid attended Friday night’s game, making his first appearance since having surgery March 31. Surgeons are examining him each day and are happy with his progress, Pompey adds, with “non-contact cardiovascular exertion steps” being planned to help him get through the league’s concussion protocol.

The Sixers didn’t let Embiid speak to reporters, but he watched his teammates during warmups and sank a few 3-pointers. He has missed five games since colliding with Markelle Fultz on March 28, and his prognosis calls for him to return in another one to three weeks.

There’s more today out of Philadelphia:

T.J. McConnell‘s playing time has nosedived since Fultz returned from his injury, Pompey notes in a separate story. The reserve point guard was on the court for just 5 minutes and 27 seconds Friday against the Cavaliers, the second-shortest stint of his three-year career. The Sixers have a $1.6MM team option on McConnell for next season that must be exercised by June 29.
As one of the few Sixers with playoff experience, J.J. Redick will have an important role once the postseason begins next weekend, Pompey writes in another piece. This will mark the 12th straight playoff appearance for Redick, who has played 88 games with the Magic, Bucks and Clippers. The only other players in Philadelphia’s rotation with a playoff history are Marco Belinelli (48 games), Amir Johnson (42) and Ersan Ilyasova (23).
Sixers fans will be happy to hear that LeBron James paid them a compliment after Friday’s game, according to Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “They love their team, they love their ball club. They come out and support,” he said. “Obviously riding the winning streak, you know, and also you add in Villanova and you add in the Eagles, obviously that helps as well but it has always been kind of rowdy coming here.” Philadelphia has been rumored as a possible destination for James when he hits free agency this summer.

Eastern Rumors: Beasley, Embiid, Oubre, Tolliver

April 2nd, 2018 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Journeyman forward Michael Beasley would like to return to the Knicks, but several factors play into that equation, as Marc Berman of the New York Post examines. Beasley returns to the free agent market this summer and has expressed a desire to stay put. “I would love to be back definitely. A lot goes into that,” he told Berman. “We’ll assess the situation in summertime.” The Knicks would likely have to use a portion of their mid-level exception to retain him. However, they could opt to spend it on a younger player or save cap space for the following summer, Berman continues. Their desire to re-sign Beasley also hinges on who will be coaching the team next season, Berman adds.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers’ playoff appearance will likely be a one-and-done experience if Joel Embiid can’t return for the first round, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The center’s participation is uncertain due to a concussion and a fractured orbital bone near his left eye. The Sixers have outscored opponents by 11.6 points per possession when he plays and outscored by 3.9 points when he doesn’t play, Pompey notes. The team doesn’t have anyone to match up with the Pacers’ mobile center, Myles Turner, if they face Indiana in the first round without Embiid, Pompey adds.
Kelly Oubre has been buried in a shooting slump but his subpar defense is the thing that could reduce the Wizards forward’s playing time, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. Coach Scott Brooks criticized Oubre’s defense following a loss to the lottery-bound Bulls on Sunday. “He hasn’t shot the ball well, but I’m more concerned about him getting blown by on defense,” Brooks told Buckner and other media members. “Seems like every time his man is scoring on him. He has to step up and start playing some defense if he wants to continue to play.”
Pistons veteran power forward Anthony Tolliver has added elements to his game this season, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports. “It’s really amazing the way he has been able to improve, particularly offensively,”coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Now when people close out on him, he can put the ball on the floor and attack. Not too many guys improve after 30.” Tolliver returns to the free agent market in July after signing a one-year deal with Detroit last summer.
Magic lottery pick Jonathan Isaac is gaining confidence in his 3-point shooting, George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Isaac attempted a season-high six attempts from long range against the Hawks on Sunday and made half of them. “Throughout the entire season they’ve been telling me let it fly, especially from the corner 3.” Isaac told Diaz.

Joel Embiid Has Surgery, May Be Back In Two Weeks

March 31st, 2018 at 3:26pm CST by Austin Kent

MARCH 31, 3:26pm: Embiid had surgery today to repair an orbital fracture, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He could be cleared by team doctors to return for the start of the playoffs in two weeks, but the date will depend on his pain threshold (Twitter link).

MARCH 29, 6:57pm: The Sixers have announced in a press release that Joel Embiid has, in fact, been diagnosed with a concussion and will additionally undergo facial surgery after a CT scan revealed an orbital fracture of his left eye.

There is no current timetable for his return, although Zach Lowe of ESPN tweets that a source of his suggests Embiid could resume playing in two-to-four weeks, pending the results of surgery.

Initially Embiid cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol but began to exhibit symptoms later on after being taken to a hospital for further evaluation and testing. Embiid, the team says, has now been formally placed in the league’s concussion protocol.

As we wrote earlier today, Embiid suffered the injury after a collision with teammate Markelle Fultz.

There is no set date for Embiid’s surgery, the team having only specified that the procedure will be performed in the coming days.

Joel Embiid Injured, Released From Hospital

March 29th, 2018 at 4:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:08pm: There is a sense that Embiid is likely to miss more than the two games on Philadelphia’s current road trip, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets.

2:12pm: Embiid was released from the hospital today, but will not join the Sixers on their trip to Atlanta, Camerato tweets.

9:00am: The Sixers are awaiting a medical update on Joel Embiid, but a social media message from the center last night is raising concerns, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Embiid was hospitalized after suffering a facial contusion in a collision with teammate Markelle Fultz. He offered an update on his condition in a video he posted on Instagram that was captioned, “Not good.”

Fultz was driving to the basket midway through the first half when they collided and his shoulder struck Embiid’s head. Embiid was knocked over, sat up briefly then fell back to the court.

“I was trying to go get the ball at the same time I was watching him,” Fultz said. “But my heart dropped, really, because I know he hit me. But he’s a tough guy and I know he’s going to be OK. All I can do is pray for him.”

Embiid was helped to the locker room, but bent over in pain in the hallway. Fultz added that his head may have also struck Embiid in the face.

Embiid successfully went through the concussion protocol, then was taken to an area hospital for precautionary concussion testing, according to Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The Sixers are awaiting the results before putting together a time frame for his return.

This has been the healthiest season by far for Embiid, who sat out his first two years in the NBA with complications from a broken foot, then was on a strict minutes limit as a rookie. He has appeared in 63 games this season and is averaging 30.3 minutes per night.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Postseason, McCarty, Mudiay

March 22nd, 2018 at 8:15pm CST by marksuleymanov

Joel Embiid‘s extensive injury history forced the Sixers to get creative with his playing schedule, which included not playing in back-to-backs for much of this season. But as the 76ers gear up for the postseason, Embiid wants no part of resting and wants to play in every game, Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia relays.

“We didn’t come this far to rest me,” Embiid said. “I mean, I was always complaining about playing every game and playing back-to-backs. I’m sure the fans were, too. Now that we’re here, I can understand maybe the last game before we get ready for the playoffs, but other than that, I want to play every game because that’s my first time I get the chance to do that.”

Embiid is averaging over 31 minutes per contest as the Sixers occupy the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. A healthy Embiid is imperative if Philadelphia wants a deep postseason run. Head coach Brett Brown indicated that the team will look to give its young center rest whenever possible, despite his competitive nature.

Check out more Atlantic Division notes:

The Sixers have played well down the stretch and are in a prime spot entering the postseason. In Brett Brown‘s own words, the Sixers hope to maintain this pace for the 11 games the team has left after Thursday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We respect the journey,” Brown said, “and we don’t intend on letting what we built so far go easily. We are of where we’re at. We want to hold on to where we’re at. And we want to play good basketball.”
Celtics assistant coach Walter McCarty will assume the role as head coach of the NCAA’s Evansville Purple Aces, sources tell Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. McCarty spent most of his NBA career as a player with the Celtics but he is an Evansville, Indiana native. Adam Himmelsbach‏ of the Boston Globe tweets that the Celtics will not look to immediately replace McCarty.
Emmanuel Mudiay has been the Knicks‘ starting point guard since the All-Star break but he has struggled with all facets of the game. A visibly frustrated Jeff Hornacek said the team needs to see what Mudiay is capable of over a prolonged stretch, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. “We’re not just going to have (13 games with Mudiay starting) and make a judgment call on a guy,” Hornacek said. “We’ve seen the other guys. The other guys are coming off the bench. Trey continues to prove that he’s a guy that can really give us something. We’re trying to see and see if he can get used to our guys and we just go that way.”

Sixers Notes: Fultz, Brown, Holmes, Ilyasova

February 25th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

It’s time for rookie guard Markelle Fultz to break his public silence and address the issues that have limited him to just four games this season, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The things Fultz needs to explain, according to Pompey, are whether a scapular muscle imbalance forced him to change his shot or whether it was done on the advice of his trainer, Keith Williams, and what teammate Joel Embiid meant when he said of Fultz, “I don’t feel like a lot of people … have had his back.”

Williams has denied making changes to Fultz’s shot and some people in the organization don’t believe it happened, but Fultz could easily clear up the situation if the team made him available to the media. However, he hasn’t granted any interviews apart from a brief one on TNT. A grievance was filed through the Pro Basketball Writers Association, but the NBA sided with the Sixers. The team may be trying to protect Fultz, Pompey adds, but the silence is just leading to more speculation.

There’s more today out of Philadelphia:

This is the first time since coach Brett Brown took over five years ago that the Sixers haven’t dealt away or waived someone at the trade deadline, Pompey notes in a separate story. Not only did they keep their core intact, they added a shooter by picking up Marco Belinelli from the buyout market. “It’s something that from the city’s perspective, from the fans’ perspective and from the these guys’ perspective to take continuity and move it forward instead of hack away at it and chop it down,” Brown said. “We respect it. We appreciate it.”
Richaun Holmes made a rare appearance Saturday, relays Sarah Todd of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The back-up center had sat out seven of the past nine games, but was scheduled for some minutes as Brown tries to prepare his whole roster for the postseason. Holmes responded with impressive defense in a win over the Magic. “Right now my motivation is I know that Richaun has value, I know that he has things that he can bring to the table and I respect how he’s handled himself when he wasn’t playing that much,” Brown said. “I know it’s my job to keep him alive and tonight was an example of that and I thought he did very very well.”
The Sixers could be an option for Ersan Ilyasova once he completes a rumored buyout with the Hawks, according to Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports. Ilyasova spent 53 games in Philadelphia last season before being traded to Atlanta.

Atlantic Notes: Noah, Embiid, Nets Sale

February 18th, 2018 at 10:58pm CST by marksuleymanov

Joakim Noah is currently away from the Knicks, but he made his first public appearance in weeks during the All-Star break. The former Defensive Player of the Year was spotted at a party hosted by NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein. Marc Berman of the New York Post spoke to Goldstein about Noah’s rare appearance.

“I’ve known [Noah] a long time, I spoke to him last night,” Goldstein said to Berman. “I asked him if he was going to be all right, that I’m a little worried about you. He said don’t worry about him, everything’s going to be fine.”

We noted on Saturday that a confrontation in late January between Noah and head coach Jeff Hornacek allegedly turned physical. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Hornacek shoved Noah and the two men had to be separated, though Berman’s sources dispute that Hornacek pushed Noah. The veteran center has not been back with the team since then as the Knicks have tried him and the remainder of his near-$38MM salary for the next two seasons.

Check out additional Atlantic Division notes down below:

This All-Star weekend has been just the latest chapter in Joel Embiid‘s improbable journey from third overall pick to oft-injured big man to NBA All-Star. Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes that Embiid contemplated retirement on several occasions as injuries mounted and doubt about his future grew. “At some points, I wanted to quit,” the Sixers‘ center said. “There were surgeries after surgeries, and I didn’t really believe in myself. I didn’t feel good about my body.” After a productive weekend in the Skills Challenge and All-Star game, Embiid’s once doubtful future is the most certain it has been.
The deal between Mikhail Prokhorov and Joe Tsai for a 49% stake in the Nets will reportedly be finalized in the coming weeks, sources tell Net Income at NetsDaily. Per the reported details, Tsai will initially gain control of 49% of the Nets with an option to take full control in 2022.

Sixers, Thunder Interested in Dewayne Dedmon

February 5th, 2018 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks, Sixers and Thunder are among the teams who have expressed interest in Dewayne Dedmon, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reports. However, Milwaukee is no longer looking for a big man after acquiring Tyler Zeller from the Nets on Monday night, as Deveney points out (Twitter link).

The Sixers and Thunder are also searching for wing help but could trade for Dedmon to fortify their frontcourts.

Atlanta’s front office would like to move numerous players but Dedmon has attracted the most attention, Deveney adds. Dedmon, who played for the Spurs last season, missed over a month of action with a left leg injury but when healthy the 7-footer has been a rotation player. He’s started 21 of 34 games, averaging a career highs in scoring (10.0 PPG) and rebounding (7.7 RPG).

Dedmon has expanded his offensive game beyond the 3-point line this season and has made a healthy 38.3% of his attempts. He’s likely to re-enter the free agent market after the season. Dedmon, who is making $6MM this season, has a $6.3MM player option for next season and will likely exercise it, according to Deveney.

Since Dedmon would likely only be a rental, the Hawks won’t find a suitor willing to give up a first-round pick for him.

In terms of the teams reportedly interested in Dedmon, he’d serve as backup in Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid or Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams.