Joel Embiid reveals whether he plans to return before playoffs

Apr 16, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) before game one of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Joel Embiid is not trying to rush back to the Philadelphia 76ers after his knee injury, but he made it clear that he is trying to get back on the court as quickly as possible.

Speaking to the media Thursday for the first time since undergoing knee surgery and said he has every intention of returning before the end of the regular season. He made clear that he intends to do so no matter where the 76ers are in the standings.

“That’s the plan,” Embiid said, via Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “Obviously everything has to go right, as far as getting healthy and being as close as I’m supposed to be. But yeah, that’s the plan.

“I just love playing basketball. I want to be on the floor as much as possible. I only have about 20 years to do this. So any chances that I get, I wanna be on the floor. So it doesn’t matter where we are [in the standings]. I just want to play as much as I can and try to help us.”

Embiid was putting up MVP numbers before knee issues derailed his season. The 76ers are 4-8 since his most recent injury, but still sit sixth in the Eastern Conference.

We recently got some idea of when the 76ers expect Embiid back. They will still want him playing at something close to full strength if at all possible, since their championship hopes are essentially dependent on him being mostly healthy.