Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers are running out of time to turn things around this season. But the Sixers are not planning to pull the plug just yet.
Embiid was ruled out for the 76ers’ Monday night game against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. His absence marked his 38th missed game of the season through 57 contests, mostly due to his ailing left knee.
76ers head coach Nick Nurse spoke to reporters before the game against the Bulls and was asked whether or not the team was considering shutting down Embiid for the rest of the season.
“Not at that point at all,” Nurse said, via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “Just, again, we are playing and testing and trying to figure it out and go from there.”
Nurse’s answer comes just days after a report emerged indicating that the 76ers were considering “alternative options” regarding Embiid’s injured knee. It remains unclear what those options are, but Nurse sounded adamant on Monday that a shutdown was not one of them.
Philadelphia entered the Bulls game having lost 9 of its last 10 games. The 76ers have fallen out of the play-in picture entirely.
While Nurse and the Sixers do not sound ready to give up on the season, their draft pick situation may incentivize them to do so. At 20-36 before Monday’s slate of games, the team currently has the 6th-best odds in the upcoming NBA draft. Their first-round pick this season is top-6 protected and would go to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it ends up being the 7th pick or worse.
Fully committing to tank this season would allow Embiid to recover while also giving the 76ers a better chance to keep their pick.
