Nick Nurse Shares Expectations for Joel Embiid’s Return to 76ers

One week will go by without Joel Embiid suiting up for the Philadelphia 76ers.

For the first time since his most recent setback, Embiid was spotted on the bench with his teammates while donning street clothes. As the Sixers returned home following a one-game trip on the road to face the Atlanta Hawks, Embiid showed up to support.

When will he get the opportunity to help out? Well, that’s the biggest question surrounding the Sixers right now, as Embiid deals with two separate setbacks within the last month.

What’s Going On With Embiid?

An absence on Friday night against the Sacramento Kings marked the tenth for Embiid this season. Earlier in the year, Embiid’s setbacks were minor, resulting in no more than two absences in a row.

When he went down with a sprained ankle on December 22 against the Toronto Raptors, that was no longer the case. Ranging from Christmas Day to the Sixers’ final matchup of 2023, Embiid sat out, which resulted in a four-game absence. On January 2, he was cleared to play against the Chicago Bulls.

In the 13-point win over the Bulls, Embiid claimed he felt fine physically after his 31-minute shift. During the team’s 36-point blowout loss to the New York Knicks, Embiid admitted he twisted his knee during the game. He went from assuming he was fine to missing the next three games due to swelling.

When the Sixers prepared to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday of this week, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was hopeful Embiid could return to action at some point this week. Friday’s matchup against the Kings came and went without Embid.

Nick Nurse’ Recent Update

Before Friday’s game, Nurse stuck to his routine of fielding Embiid-related questions. The head coach echoed a similar sentiment as before.

“Not much other than what I keep sharing,” Nurse told reporters. “We still got it as day-to-day. We think that he’s going to be back in practice shortly, meaning he’s going to be playing shortly. Hopefully, that’s the next game.”

Seeking better clarification, a reporter followed-up to see if Nurse was hinting Embiid was on pace to face the Houston Rockets on Monday. While Nurse expects Embiid to return, it’s clear there isn’t a guarantee on the table.

“Certainly hopeful,” Nurse added. “But yeah, we’re expecting him to.”

The Sixers’ expectations don’t always reach reality. With Embiid monitoring his knee on a day-to-day basis, only time will tell if he’ll be healed up enough for Monday’s matinee against Houston. The Sixers might’ve improved their losing record without Embiid on Friday, but they could certainly use the MVP big man back in the mix sooner rather than later.