After undergoing surgery for appendicitis earlier this month, it remains to be seen whether the Philadelphia 76ers will see Joel Embiid back on the court this season. And given that they will take on the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics (who many believe are the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference) in the first round of the playoffs, Embiid's absence puts the 76ers at an even bigger disadvantage.
However, the Cameroon native made a surprise appearance on the sidelines during the 76ers' 109-97 victory against the Orlando Magic in the Play-In Tournament, giving fans some hope that he could be back on the court sooner than expected.
While he still doesn't have a concrete timetable for his return, it's a good sign for Philadelphia to see Embiid with the team already. And if the team can stay alive against the Celtics (a team that has regularly given them fits in the playoffs in recent years) and extend the series as much as possible, maybe there's a world where the former NBA MVP plays again this season after all.
The 76ers could still get Joel Embiid back this postseason
In a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast, ESPN's Tim Bontemps said he could see Embiid returning this season, as long as the 76ers-Celtics series goes long enough.
"I don't think it's impossible he's back at some point in this series, depending on how long it goes," Bontemps said about Embiid. "Obviously, it's very hard to know how recovery from an abdominal surgery is going to go, but certainly a good sign to see him there, and we'll see if he can get back."
Even if he's not the same guy he was just a few years ago, Embiid is still a big part of the 76ers' success. He is a fantastic paint presence on both sides of the ball, has developed as a playmaker, and can step up when needed, even though he's mostly given the reins to Tyrese Maxey.
And on top of all of that, the team doesn't really have anybody who can replicate anything close to his value in his absence. Adem Bona is fine, but he's no Embiid. And Andre Drummond is barely good enough to be a backup at this point, let alone replace Embiid in any way during a playoff series.
Without the Kansas alum, it's going to be a challenge for Philadelphia to go head-to-head against the Celtics in this series. However, the team is resilient, and they have a lot of talent at the top of the roster. If they can bring their A-game night in and night out, they may be able to get Embiid back sooner than later, which would pay dividends for them moving forward.
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