PHILADELPHIA — Returning to the court docket eight weeks to the day after present process a process on the lateral meniscus in his left knee, Philadelphia 76ers middle Joel Embiid admitted that the psychological restoration course of from this harm was as tough as any he is gone via throughout his NBA profession.
“Normally, when I’ve accidents, I simply inform myself, transfer on to the subsequent one, get higher, after which repair it,” mentioned Embiid, who completed with 24 factors, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 6 turnovers in a 109-105 victory over the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder at Wells Fargo Middle on Tuesday night time. “However this one took a toll mentally, being depressed … It was not one.
“So, nonetheless not the place I am imagined to be, particularly mentally, however I simply like to play and love basketball and I need to play and any likelihood that I will be on the market, I’ll take it.”
When Embiid was requested what, particularly, he meant by not being in the best place mentally, he admitted the harm left him feeling depressed.
“For some motive this harm was simply … It was disappointing,” he mentioned. “It was miserable. It took me some time to recover from it, and I nonetheless have not gotten over it. So simply obtained to take it daily, take a look at the constructive.
“I am again. So, hopefully each single day, attempt to get higher and get again to myself.”
It’ll take Embiid a while to get again to the place he was earlier than he obtained damage, when he was averaging over 35 factors per sport and on tempo to attain extra factors than minutes performed — one thing solely Wilt Chamberlain has ever completed within the historical past of the NBA. The harm additionally value Embiid an opportunity at defending the MVP he received final season, in addition to an opportunity to make one of many All-NBA or All-Defensive groups.
In his absence, Philadelphia has cratered. Together with Tuesday’s victory, the 76ers at the moment are 27-8 this season when Embiid performs and simply 14-27 when he does not. These points with Embiid sidelined have left the 76ers in a precarious place with regards to playoff seeding as they may get up Wednesday two losses behind each the Indiana Pacers and Miami Warmth within the sixth and seventh spots, respectively, within the Jap Convention standings.
However whereas Philadelphia has an enormous sport forward in Miami in opposition to the Warmth on Thursday night time, the main focus right here was on Embiid making it via his first sport in over two months unscathed.
Embiid, who went via his first full contact, 5-on-5 apply Saturday with none points, was nonetheless listed as out for Tuesday’s sport as late as two hours earlier than tipoff. However simply earlier than 76ers coach Nick Nurse spoke to the media at 5:45 p.m. ET, a 76ers spokesperson mentioned Embiid had been upgraded to questionable. And, after he took the court docket for his customary exercise slightly underneath an hour earlier than tipoff, he reclaimed his customary spot as Philadelphia’s beginning middle.
It’s removed from the primary time the 76ers have run afoul of the league’s harm reporting guidelines — which doesn’t enable groups to change a standing from out to questionable inside two hours of tipoff — and will value the franchise a hefty effective consequently.
Nonetheless, it is one the crew will fortunately pay. Philadelphia obtained its MVP again on the court docket and a win as well, thanks largely to Embiid drawing a pair of fouls and hitting 4 free throws inside the ultimate minute, all sandwiched round stealing the ball from Thunder guard Josh Giddey.
After wanting drained for stretches of the sport, it was a formidable burst of vitality on the finish of his 29 minutes of motion.
“I feel minutes-wise that was in all probability the place I believed we’d find yourself,” Nurse mentioned, as Embiid performed in shorter stints than he sometimes would all through the sport so as to have extra vitality throughout them. “I believed we obtained begin into the half and it mapped out, one thing like that, minutes-wise. I believed the largest influence, he scored some, I believed he handed the ball rather well, however once more, after we begin amping up our protection within the final six minutes he was down there once more as I talked about earlier than the sport. A few of these [Thunder] drives did not look as productive, in order that to me is the place I actually thought he impacted the sport.
“He appeared fairly good for not taking part in for a few months, that is for certain.”
Not solely has it been a few months since Embiid has performed, however Tuesday additionally marked the primary time he’d ever performed with each of Philadelphia’s beginning guards, Cameron Payne and Kyle Lowry, in addition to reserve Buddy Hield off the bench — and the shortage of chemistry was obvious at instances.
Nonetheless, ahead Tobias Harris mentioned it should not take any of them lengthy to get used to taking part in alongside one of many league’s dominant forces.
“Simply get able to move him the ball, after which be prepared for when he will get double-teamed,” Harris mentioned with fun. “Severely, that is actually what it comes right down to. I feel, all these guys know the right way to play basketball. However he is who we undergo. He is who the offense is generated by, having his presence on the market and him with the ability to make performs are big.”
Now, the main focus will shift to Embiid’s restoration from this primary sport and the way his left knee responds transferring ahead. He was capable of play Tuesday as a result of there have been no flare-ups after his prolonged exercise Saturday, and Embiid mentioned the plan is for him to play Thursday in opposition to the Warmth — assuming there are not any setbacks in that knee.
“I feel it is all about the way it responds,” he mentioned. “Hopefully every little thing goes nicely.
“We simply obtained to take it daily, see how the knee responds tomorrow. We obtained a giant one in Miami. If I am good to go, clearly go. However I feel, it is truly humorous, the timeline was eight weeks and I am again on that eight weeks. So I feel I’ve realized lots through the years and I obtained to handle myself, obtained to remain wholesome as a result of I nonetheless have an extended profession forward of this.”