The Philadelphia 76ers will come out of the All-Star break at the No. 5 spot in the East, just 2.5 games ahead of the No. 7 seed which would put them in the play-in tournament. The 76ers have been trying to stay afloat while reigning league MVP Joel Embiid recovers from a meniscus injury. Embiid is going to miss enough games to effectively forfeit his chances at repeating as league MVP but he’s hoping to return by the time the 76ers are heading to the postseason.
Here’s the latest timeline for Embiid’s return and how bettors should approach the 76ers while he’s sidelined.
Joel Embiid injury news
Update, Mar. 3 — During the 76ers-Mavs game, the broadcast said the Sixers are expected to provide an update on Embiid soon. He’s doing on-court work and is lifting weight at the same level prior to the injury, so it appears a return is near for the big man. The initial re-evaluation period was one month and we’re coming close to that point. Expect a formal update during the coming week with a potential return likely to come later in March.
Update, Feb. 29 — Embiid talked to reporters on Thursday and gave us an update on his status as he recovers from the knee surgery. Embiid told Tim Bontemps of ESPN that he’s planning on returning before the end of the regular season.
The Sixers have been struggling big time, even before Embiid was sidelined. Philly is 4-12 since the end of January. At 33-25, the Sixers are in danger of falling out of the top-6 in the East and into the play-in tournament. Depending on how far the 76ers fall, that could dictate when and if Embiid will return this season.
Embiid underwent a procedure to correct a displaced flap on his meniscus on February 6 and he was going to be re-evaluated in one month. That’s no guarantee he’ll return to the court but it’s a good first timeline. Even if Embiid were to miss a few more weeks after that first month, he’ll be around for the home stretch with the regular season ending April 14.
Playoff implications for 76ers
As mentioned above, the 76ers are in the No. 5 spot and are just 2.5 games out of being in the play-in tournament. Philadelphia went 3-5 in the last eight games without Embiid, and is 6-14 overall this season without the big man. The Sixers have 28 games left, and Embiid is set to miss at least eight more of them if everything goes according to plan.
Let’s say Embiid misses more time, which is probably the case given his injury history. The 76ers would love to stay outside the play-in to avoid extra games for Embiid. That likely requires at least 46 wins, which would mean the Sixers have to go at least 13-15. They’re not quite hitting the mark at the moment but if Embiid can come back with at least 10 games left, they’ll be in a good position to get there.
Betting/fantasy impact
The 76ers have covered the spread just twice in the last eight games, but they have had to deal with more than just Embiid being out. Tobias Harris, Nicolas Batum and De’Anthony Melton should all be back after the All-Star break, which will help Philadelphia’s cause. Tyrese Maxey and Harris will be the best offensive options for the 76ers, but Paul Reed and Mo Bamba are the best DFS plays with Embiid sidelined.