Joel Embiid’s Final Playing Status for 76ers-Nets Revealed

Will Joel Embiid face the Nets on Friday?

Apr 17, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives against Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) during the third quarter in game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia 76ers fully expected to have Joel Embiid on the court for their Friday night matchup against the Brooklyn Nets when they revealed their injury report on the eve of the matchup.

Although the Sixers had Paul George listed as out, Embiid avoided the injury report for the second time this week. On Friday morning, that changed.

The Sixers downgraded Embiid to questionable for the matchup against the Nets. The good news was that it wasn’t a result of suffering a setback. The big man was considering a night off due to knee injury management.

Joel Embiid’s status for tonight’s game vs. the Nets will be determined after his pregame workout. #Sixers

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 22, 2024

The Sixers have ruled Embiid out on Friday night. In his absence, the Sixers are expected to roll with Andre Drummond as the starting center once again

Since the start of training camp, the Sixers have had Embiid on a strict resting plan. Since the seven-time All-Star missed more than half of last season with a knee injury, he wanted to avoid overworking his body and exposing himself to potentially more setbacks.

When the Sixers fired up the 2024-2025 season, Embiid was ruled out for the season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. He went on to miss the first six games of the season due to knee injury management. While Embiid was eyeing a debut on November 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers, the star center was suspended for three games.

After missing the first nine games of the season, Embiid finally debuted against the New York Knicks on November 12. The following game, Embiid sat out as the Sixers hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second matchup of a back-to-back.

Embiid returned to take on the Orlando Magic last Friday. In his second game back, he checked in for 32 minutes. He went on to play the next two games against the Miami Heat and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Wednesday’s matchup in Memphis was Embiid’s best outing since returning. He accounted for a double-double, scoring 35 points and coming down with 11 rebounds. While he found personal success, Embiid’s Sixers dropped their fifth-straight game in Memphis.

The Sixers are searching for their third win of the year on Friday against the Nets.