After being examined by team doctors, Sixers center Joel Embiid was unable to practice on Saturday and is considered “doubtful for at least Game 1” against Boston on Monday night, head coach Doc Rivers told reporters, including Rich Hofmann of The Athletic.
Rivers said the team was hopeful Embiid would be able to participate in Saturday’s practice, but he was unable to. Embiid will need to get some practice time in before being cleared to return, Rivers added.
The star big man sprained his right knee last Thursday during Game 3 of Philadelphia’s first-round series versus Brooklyn. He missed Game 4, but the Sixers won without him to complete their sweep of the Nets.
Initial reports indicated that the Sixers were optimistic about Embiid’s injury — a sprained LCL — and chances to return sooner rather than later. However, following Game 4 last Saturday, Rivers said the odds of Embiid returning for Game 1 were “probably 50 percent, at best.”
Obviously, playing without Embiid for any length of time against the Celtics will negatively impact Philadelphia’s chances of winning the series. If he is able to return at some point, he’s expected to wear a knee brace to help stabilize the joint.
If Embiid does miss Game 1, Paul Reed is the most likely candidate to start in his place, with fellow big men like Dewayne Dedmon and Montrezl Harrell among the other options for minutes in the middle.
After finishing as the MVP runner-up each of the past two seasons, Embiid is considered the front-runner for the regular season award in 2022-23. He averaged a league-high 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.7 BPG on .548/.330/.857 shooting in 66 games (34.6 MPG) this season.
