With only eight games on deck prior to the end of the regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers need all the help they can get so they can muster as much momentum as they can in the lead-up to the postseason.
As of writing, the 76ers have a 39-35 win-loss card which has them currently slotted in at eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The ninth-ranked Chicago Bulls are just four games behind them, but it’s unlikely for them to close the gap at this juncture. Barring a sudden decline from one of the teams above them, it seems rather safe to pencil the team in as a play-in participant this time around.
Joel Embiid appears poised to return to the Philadelphia 76ers before the regular season ends
While going through the play-in gauntlet surely isn’t the desired path for the franchise, the 76ers have nary a reason to pout. After all, Joel Embiid, who has missed a huge chunk of the season due to a knee injury, appears poised to return to the court before the regular season winds down completely.
Prior to the 76ers’ matchup against the Cavaliers on Friday night, Embiid traveled with the team on the road. This seems to be the case once again when the 76ers head north to visit the Toronto Raptors.
Embiid is still obviously ruled out for the game, but the fact that he’s already an active and regular participant in team activities on the road is pretty telling of his encouraging progress toward a return this season. It’s not surprising that Nick Nurse and the rest of the coaching staff have exhibited optimism about him donning 76ers threads before the postseason kicks in.
For now, the Philadelphia 76ers have to laser in on the Raptors which, despite their record, can be a pretty pesky bunch with their personnel. Hopefully, they can leave Toronto with a dub and rise in the standings before Joel Embiid helps the team regain its potent form.