Joel Embiid Cleared for Non-Contact Drills

It has been a little over one week since Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid injured his finger. During a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder last Monday, Embiid felt some sharp pain in his hand after attempting to block a shot on defense.

At the time, it was clear that Embiid had dislocated his finger. After getting his ring finger popped back into place, Embiid toughened it out and headed back out onto the court to finish the game. Although he managed to play again after the injury, the Sixers' center figured he would have to miss some time moving forward.

Last Thursday, Embiid received his official diagnosis of a torn radial collateral ligament in the fourth metacarpal. After weighing out the treatment options with hand specialists and the team's medical staff, Embiid elected to undergo surgery.

After a successful procedure, the Sixers announced Embiid would be re-evaluated in a week. This past Monday, the Sixers' center confirmed he had a doctor's appointment and was cleared for non-contact drills, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's, Keith Pompey.

Despite having his left hand wholly wrapped, Embiid hasn't been sitting around waiting for it to heal. The Sixers' big man has still been putting in work as he attempts to remain in basketball shape upon his return.

Before the Sixers' Wednesday night matchup against the Brooklyn Nets at home, Embiid was doing some conditioning drills on the court during pregame warmups. On Thursday, the Sixers' center was getting shots up during a post-practice shootaround at the team's practice facility in Camden, New Jersey.

While the Sixers haven't released a timeline for Embiid's return just yet, team sources announced that a re-evaluation would take place in a week. That second visit should then determine when the 76ers will get their center back on the court.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_