Key Philadelphia 76ers Veterans Remain Out vs Bulls

The Philadelphia 76ers will miss a handful of players against the Bulls.

Jan 4, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) goes to the basket asBrooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) defends during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Night two of a back-to-back set against the Chicago Bulls will be another shorthanded outing for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Heading into the matchup, the Sixers are certain they will miss a handful of players. None of them should come as a surprise at this point.

Joel Embiid hasn’t been on the court for the Sixers since their January 4 outing against the Brooklyn Nets. Throughout December, Embiid had a strong stretch, but the combination of a sprained foot and knee soreness has once again derailed his progress.

Saturday will mark the 11th game in a row Embiid will miss.

The seven-time All-Star’s backup, Andre Drummond, will continue to miss some action as well. Back in late December, Drummond started dealing with a toe injury, which took him off the court for three games in a row.

After Drummond returned, he missed the second night of a back-to-back. Since Drummond’s eight-minute shift against the Brooklyn Nets on January 4, he has just two appearances in 10 games.

He missed six games in a row after the Brooklyn game, returning for a starting role against the Indiana Pacers. Drummond produced eight points and three rebounds in 26 minutes. After getting the following game off, Drummond was back in action against the Denver Nuggets.

Amid a blowout loss, Drummond scored eight points while coming down with five rebounds. By missing Saturday’s game, Drummond will be out for two games in a row.

Recently, the veteran forward Caleb Martin managed to get back on the practice court as a limited participant. For quite some time, Martin has been dealing with a right hip strain, but he seems to be making progress towards returning soon.

Martin’s last appearance came during the Sixers’ January 10 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans. At the time, Martin checked in for 36 minutes. He scored five points and produced three rebounds and four assists.

As Martin won’t see the court against Chicago, it will be his eighth absence in a row.

The Sixers will get a couple of days off before their next matchup, which takes place on Tuesday at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Jan 10, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) passes the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images