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Joel Embiid, Raul Neto Fighting Illness Ahead of Pistons Matchup

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, and point guard, Raul Neto are both fighting an illness ahead of the matchup with the Detroit Pistons.
Justin Grasso|
Joel Embiid, Raul Neto Fighting Illness Ahead of Pistons Matchup
Joel Embiid, Raul Neto Fighting Illness Ahead of Pistons Matchup

An odd trend from the 2019-2018 NBA season keeps up in the new year for the Philadelphia 76ers. Over the last couple of years, the 76ers have been known to have tons of injuries occur to players on their roster.

Last season, it wasn't all about players missing games due to injuries though. They were also missing games because of sudden illnesses. Well, it seems that not much will change this year either as multiple players have dealt with gastroenteritis and upper respiratory issues throughout the year already.

Lately, the Sixers have had most of their key players available as the lineup has been healthy. However, on Monday night, they might be without a couple of their regulars as an illness has spread in the locker room once again.

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Serena Winters, Sixers' starting center Joel Embiid is heading into the matchup with the Detroit Pistons on Monday night listed as Questionable. The big man missed the Monday morning shootaround and could end up being a game-time decision for the Sixers.

Along with Embiid, Sixers' backup point guard Raul Neto is fighting illness as well. While Neto also missed the shootaround on Monday morning, his chances of playing on Monday night are a bit higher than Embiid's. According to Pompey, Neto is listed as Probable, as opposed to questionable.

Without Embiid in the starting lineup, the Sixers will likely shift Al Horford to center, while throwing Mike Scott in with the starters. So far this season, the Sixers have proved they can win without Embiid.

And obviously, Wednesday's game versus Milwaukee is much more crucial than Monday's game against Detroit. So if Embiid is not feeling up for the task of playing on Monday, there shouldn't be any reason for the Sixers to push him to go. Instead, they could preserve him for Wednesday.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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