NBA power rankings: Can the Sixers hold on until Joel Embiid comes back?

Updated: March 18, 2024

With the end of the 2023-24 regular season slowly drawing closer, the championship picture looks largely the same as it did at the All-Star break. The playoff and play-in teams have probably been determined, although seeding is still up for grabs. It’s hard to generate interest at this time of the year when there’s not much to focus on until the playoffs begin. However, the return of some key injured players could change the script entirely.

The most obvious injury is 76ers big man Joel Embiid, who has not been ruled out for the season yet. The reigning league MVP is dealing with a meniscus injury and if he can come back without any issues, the 76ers believe they are title contenders. Philadelphia is a shell of itself without Embiid, but can become a dangerous proposition as a lower seed with him back in time for the postseason.

Another big man who is out is Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, who recently underwent surgery on his torn meniscus. Towns is set to be re-evaluated in four weeks, which suggests he could potentially come back by the time the playoffs begin. The Timberwolves are only one game back of the top seed in the West but they’ve slipped a bit with Towns out. They’ll need him back in order to have the best chance to navigate a minefield of a conference.

The New York Knicks and Miami Heat are also hoping for positive injury news regarding Julius Randle and Tyler Herro, respectively. Randle continues to make progress with his shoulder injury and Herro is trying to recover from a foot problem but there’s still no official timeline for them to come back. The Knicks made some big moves at the trade deadline and have generally been tough to beat when fully healthy, while the Heat made the NBA Finals last year largely without Herro. Miami probably believes it can win the whole thing if the shooting guard is back healthy.

These injury statuses will have a huge impact on the postseason, potentially shaking up the contender rankings right before the playoffs start. Here’s our latest championship index for the 2023-24 NBA season.