In a huge boost to their post-season campaign, the Philadelphia 76ers disclosed on Sunday that their star centre, Joel Embiid, would suit up in Game 4 of the series against the Boston Celtics despite undergoing an emergency surgery for appendicitis only 17 days ago, as per the Hindustan Times.
Even more impressive, Philadelphia did not disclose any time limit for Embiid at all before the start of the game.
Workload under monitoring
The Sixers did not impose an official hard cap on the minutes Embiid would play, even though he was last seen playing on April 6 and began the day as doubtful for Sunday’s game.
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Instead of stating a specific cap on minutes, like 20 or 24, Philadelphia seems to be leaning toward flexibility, giving the coach the leeway to assess how well Embiid has recovered from his injury in real-time during the game.
Before the match, Nurse stated that Embiid has been gradually working through drills and training with the squad, but he stopped short of confirming any specific playing time.
Reasons why the Sixers have taken a different approach
Philadelphia is down 2-1 in the series leading up to Game 4 against Boston. This makes this game a very pivotal one for the Sixers going into Boston to play their next home game. With the importance of this game for Philadelphia, even having Embiid at less than 100% makes a world of difference.
It is not like the Sixers require the 38-minute Embiid that we saw last season. The Sixers just need to know he is back.
With Embiid being available, the Celtics will be forced to adjust their defense to account for Embiid in the post and in pick-and-roll situations, along with Maxey and Paul George
Significance of Embiid starting in Game 4
Philadelphia did not just bring Embiid off the bench in Game 4; they started him. This shows that the Sixers are confident in their star centre’s ability to withstand physical minutes of playtime despite playing only for 15-20 minutes. Embiid was seen with a protective brace around his waist and got clearance for the game about 40 minutes before the game began.
Emotional and strategic boost
Statistics aside, having Embiid on the floor provides Philadelphia with an asset that wasn’t there before.
The Celtics took Game 3 to retake control of the series. This is significant because the team that wins Game 3 in a 1-1 series leads the series by a wide margin historically.
Though Embiid may not be at full strength, the ability to force fouls, disrupt the pace, and impose a mismatch advantage can turn the tide.
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Past injury issues persist
Embiid’s career in the playoffs has frequently been disrupted by health concerns. There were knee problems, Bell’s palsy, and even facial fractures. The latest surgery to remove his appendix was simply another notch on that belt.
However, it appears the Sixers are taking a more pragmatic approach today.
In this case, the most straightforward response is that Embiid will play and start, and Philadelphia has refrained from placing any concrete minute limit, maximizing their options in a do-or-die scenario.
