The Philadelphia 76ers almost made it out of their preseason finale without a setback. Unfortunately, the team's veteran forward Dean Wade injured his ankle in the first half and was noticeably missing in the second half as the Sixers closed out their four-game run with a second straight matchup against the Boston Celtics.
Time to be concerned? Not quite. After the game, the head coach Nick Nurse told reporters that Dean Wade's absence was "not a major concern." There wasn't an official injury diagnosis to report outside of a rolled ankle. If it wasn't preseason, maybe Wade goes back into the game. Since it was just a dress rehearsal, no need to roll him back out.
After disaster, it was smooth sailing
The 76ers opened up the preseason with a major injury scare. The veteran center Ariel Hukporti was making his debut against the New York Knicks during the preseason opener and went out with an injury just a few minutes into the game. Non-contact injuries always make fans assume the worst. Assumptions were on point. The 76ers found out that Hukporti suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the rest of the season.
The team had to be nervous for everybody else going forward. Obviously, Wade's setback isn't something they will totally overlook, but that's the only new setback that occurred from game action. The other few notable injuries occurred before training camp, or happened during a practice session.
Adem Bona has been dealing with a foot injury, which had him ruled out before camp started. During the first few days of camp, Anfernee Simons dealt with a hamstring injury, Tacko Fall suffered a hip injury, and Dominick Barlow was having back issues. Those three did not play at all during the preseason. The Sixers seem optimistic about Simons and Bona getting a chance to play next week--although those decisions are not final.
You can probably add Wade to the list as a player to watch ahead of the opener in New York City. While any potential absence from Wade wouldn't shake up the starting five, it would certainly affect the rotation, as he's poised to play a key role for the 76ers' bench this year.
Backing up LeBron James--and potentially Joel Embiid at times--Wade will be a main contributor in the frontcourt. He showed a lot of promise on tape during the preseason. In an average of 15.5 minutes of action, Wade produced 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, while hitting on 55.6% of his shots from the field and knocking down 42.9% of his threes.
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