The Philadelphia 76ers might have their star center Joel Embiid back on the floor this week. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Embiid is close to returning to action and could play as soon as Tuesday when the 76ers face the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Embiid has been out since suffering a meniscus injury in late January and having to undergo knee surgery.
The 76ers will be thrilled to see Embiid ready to play, considering they have been on a downward spiral since he went down. Philly went 11-18 in Embiid’s absence and has fallen out of the top six in the Eastern Conference standings. They are currently eighth with a 40-35 record.
Embiid has previously stated that he wants to return before the regular season wraps regardless of where the 76ers are on the standings. This seems to be a better route, as he’ll be able to shake off the rust and get in game shape before the postseason.
Before the injury, Embiid was putting together a historic season. In 34 games, he averaged 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 34.0 minutes on the floor. This made Embiid the only player since Wilt Chamberlain to average at least a point per minute spent on the floor.
