Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has returned to training after his injury sidelined him for months. The reigning MVP’s absence has deteriorated the 76ers’ performances heavily. They were in third place in the Eastern Conference before Embiid got injured and now they are close to entering the play-in tournament.
On January 30, 2024, Embiid tore his meniscus in his left knee in a match against Golden State Warriors. A week later, on February 6, the Cameroonian player underwent surgery. However, the timeline for his return remained a mystery. There were no updates from the team on their star man.
Joel Embiid – Injury Update #NBA
Left Knee injury – lateral meniscal tear, flipped
The meniscus is the ‘shock absorbers’ for the knee, helping to provide cushion and is responsible for twisting, pivoting and walking on uneven surfaces (grass, sand, dirt).
The problem with… pic.twitter.com/XFgsDzV2Oi
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) February 3, 2024
Late in February, Embiid announced that he should be back in time for the playoffs. However, the 76ers did not communicate anything officially until recently.
Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse gives a positive update about Joel Embiid
Before the 76ers faced the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night, Nick Nurse expressed confidence that Embiid was recovering well and would return before the playoffs. “I think there’s always stages of how these things progress,” Nurse said, according to NBA.com.
“Everyone wants to know ’Well how long is it going to be?” And they give a wide range because of that, because everyone heals differently. We’re just trying to take it as it comes, get him healthy and get him back when he’s ready to go.”
Sixers coach Nick Nurse says Joel Embiid continues to do on-court work.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) March 18, 2024
Before their match against the Miami Heat on Monday, Nurse gave an even more positive update on his star man. The 76ers coach announced that Embiid was on the court and went through some non-contact practice after missing 21 games.
“Joel was here today,” said Nurse, according to SixersWire. “Yep. He was on the court. He went through a little bit of the practice. All non-contact stuff. He’s lifting weights right now. No timeline for his return.”
After their win over the Miami Heat, Embiid has now missed 22 games. The 76ers are 9-13 without their star man. They comfortably won their last two games against the Hornets and the Heat.
When is Joel Embiid expected to return to action?
Embiid was averaging a career-high 35.3 points per game and also a career-high 5.7 assists per game before he got injured. Further, with 11.8 Field Goals Made (FGM) per game and 11.3 rebounds per game, Embiid was continuing his phenomenal form from last season. Although the Cameroonian was in and out of the squad due to injury from the start, he was completely out of it for the past few months due to surgery.
Joel Embiid returned to practice for the first time since his Jan. 30 knee injury, per @PompeyOnSixers
“The Sixers are hopeful Embiid returns the first or second week of April.”
(Via https://t.co/l5acQ1OfY7) pic.twitter.com/y6QW30Zoye
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 19, 2024
The play-in tournament begins on April 16 and the playoff tournament begins on April 20. According to Nurse, Embiid is positively expected back before the playoffs. A report in The Philadelphia Inquirer provided a similar timeline. According to the report, Embiid is expected back by the first or second week of April.
