Nick Nurse Optimistic About Joel Embiid's Health in Wake of Shin Issue

PHILADELPHIA — If Nick Nurse is concerned about the latest injury ailing Joel Embiid's right leg, he's putting on quite a poker face.

Embiid was ruled out for Thursday's home game against the Atlanta Hawks, the Sixers' first in return from the All-Star break, on Wednesday evening with right shin soreness.

Nurse believes the right knee soreness that caused Embiid to miss the final two games before the break is behind him. This seems to be an issue isolated to Embiid's shin.

Embiid's doctors did not want him playing against the Hawks. Nurse is hoping that Embiid will take the practice court on Friday and go through a workout.

"I think we just go from there. I don't anticipate it being a long time. I'm pretty optimistic about it," Nurse told reporters ahead of the game against the Hawks. "But, see what they come up with and see where it ends up tomorrow."

Nurse likes to absolve himself from medical discussions. He prefers his focus be on the basketball court and the players at his disposal. He did not want to speak for the doctors involved in Embiid's process, but he was comfortable enough to suggest that Embiid's latest absence was more a regular-season precaution than a serious matter.

"I can't over-speak what the doctors would say, but I would tend to think he would play [if Thursday were a playoff game]. But I can't over-speak what they're saying," he said. "Again, I actually have more things I'm preparing in this game and players and all this stuff that's going on.

Embiid's doctors conduct their evaluation.. They then inform Simon Rice, Vice President of Athlete Care for the Sixers. Rice then tells Nurse who is available to play and he goes from there.

"Like tomorrow, off-day or whatever, he comes in and works out and they go through it again. I might be a little bit more involved. But I would probably say he would play if there was a playoff game today," Nurse said before reiterating that he could not speak for his star big man or his doctors.

Nonetheless, that Nurse was willing to speak in any sort of definitive terms is an indicator that this is not a matter worthy of panic. The Sixers will hit the road for games in New Orleans against the lowly Pelicans on Saturday and Minnesota against the Timberwolves on Sunday. So, one way or another, another Embiid absence likely awaits Philadephia in the near future.