76ers News: Insider offers encouraging injury update on Joel Embiid

The Philadelphia 76ers have been slumping as of late thanks to the injury bug biting them hard and the schedule breezing into its more unforigiving stretch, but they remain snugly seated in the playoff picture out East.

Joel Embiid’s absence has pushed them out a tier or two in the conference on the interim, but all hope is not lost, at least not yet. Unless you have a memory like a sieve, you probably already know that the 76ers have not ruled out the possibility of the reigning MVP returning to from injury near the end of the campaign.

And apparently, things are going well on that front.

76ers News: Insider offers encouraging injury update on Joel Embiid

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski bared last Tuesday that the 76ers are optimistic about Embiid returning from injury near the end of the season with some considerable time to recondition himself before the playoffs begin.

"They [76ers] still are optimistic that they can get him back. I think there's some hope that they can get him back on the court by sometime in late March back starting to get into condition."

While this latest development may seem hackneyed at this juncture, it also implies that Embiid’s recovery has gone smoothy without any setbacks, allowing the original timeline set for him to be an achievable one despite initially coming off as too hasty.

Should Embiid eventually return, the 76ers are unlikely to force the issue and throw him into the fire right from the get-go to nab some wins ahead of the postseason. After all, even without him, they will be favored against the current teams in the ninth and 10th spots. With him in the mix, the team should have a fighter’s chance at upsetting a higher-seeded team to make it out of the first round.

But for the meantime, Paul Reed and Mo Bamba have to remain laser-focused on their current slate and continue stepping up in Embiid’s absence, though the front office also appear poised to be a favored landing spot for another aid on that department.