The Philadelphia 76ers are set to begin their pursuit of a championship with a series against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, and Joel Embiid is not sure if he will be available to play in Game 1.
On Friday, Embiid told reporters that he has “no idea” what his playing status is ahead of Saturday. He described his knee injury as tendonitis and said the level of pain varies from day to day.
Joel Embiid on his playing status: “I have no idea.”
— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) April 12, 2019
Sixers practice: Joel Embiid frustrated w/ sore left knee pain that he said started after All Star. Pain w/ jumping landing. He’s doing massages, watching his diet. The pain levels vary from day to day. Used word tendinitis. Hopes to play Game 1, but still unsure.
— Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) April 12, 2019
Embiid added that the decision of whether or not to play will ultimately be left up to him, because the injury he is dealing with is a matter of pain management. The team later confirmed in a press release that his status for Game 1 on Saturday will depend upon how Friday’s practice goes.
The Sixers seemed to downplay Embiid’s knee injury toward the end of the regular season, but there’s a chance it could be more serious than initially believed. Even if it’s something he ends up playing through, you have to wonder how effective he can be.
