’76ERS NEED JOEL EMBIID FOR THE PLAYOFFS’ 👀 – Zach Lowe on Embiid’s impending return | NBA on ESPN

’76ERS NEED JOEL EMBIID FOR THE PLAYOFFS’ 👀 – Zach Lowe on Embiid’s impending return | NBA on ESPN

The reigning NBA MVP Joel embiid’s return to the Sixers lineup is imminent you know one thing that I always say if you got the chance to go for it you got to go for [Applause] it you’re watching NBA today presented by Navy Federal Credit Union it feels like we need to remind everybody Joel embiid was inevitable for the first three months of the season and after over two months away from the NBA floor his return is imminent that’s according to our senior NBA Insider

Adrien wojanowski and whether that return is tonight against Oklahoma City or in the coming days against maybe the Miami Heat it’s kind of easy right to forget just how dominant the reigning MVP was before his knee injury it’s been a while since Joel embiid has been in

The lineup but he was playing at another MVP caliber once again he was putting up 35 points 11 boards nearly six dimes a game no one has put that line up in a season since Wilt in 1964 and the efficiency it was off the charts too embiid has more points scored then

Minutes played I mean what and the Sixers they were in fifth pa place right when embiid went down they have tumbled down in the standings right to eighth in the 29 gam since winning just 11 of those contests but back up back up I need just a little bit of room here

Because we’re going this way we’re headed this way because it’s still time right for Philadelphia to find their footing once their 7 fo3 Superstar sets up uh and Suits up once again the seven games remaining on their schedule tonight against the West’s best Thunder Squad so now we say hello to our

Reporter Tim bontemps because Tim we heard our Adrien wowski say that Joel embiid’s return is imminent but looking at the injury report he is listed as out tonight so will he be out well we’ll wait to see exactly what happens over the next few hours Malika

Though as you said he is listed his out for tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder but the important thing for the Sixers is what you pointed out that Joel embiid is on his way back to getting on the court and they hope will be back on the court permanently and

Playing somewhere near the level he was before he got hurt when as you laid out in all those statistics he was as good as anybody playing in the league right now and is anybody playing in the league in the last several decades that’s how dominant Joelle was throughout this

Season now he went through practice in Toronto on Saturday had no setbacks or issues coming out of that five on five practice the Sixers want to make sure he gets out on the court and is fully healthy because as you laid out there in that intro Malika Sixers have tonight’s

Game against the Thunder they have Thursday’s game against the Heat if they don’t win both of those games it’s very likely this team is going to be in the eight seed going into the S eight game two weeks from today and so the focus for them more than getting Joel back out

There as fast as possible is to make sure when he’s out there he’s fully ready to go and as close to that Superstar level as he can be for that 78 game because as we know avoiding the Boston Celtics in the first round is what every Easter Conference team is

Going to be trying to do yes those are the stakes Tim Bots thank you so very much enjoy tonight’s game I want to bring it back with our panel here because Ramona shelburn has been covering Joel embiid for years Ramona what does it say to you if he’s unable

To go tonight I think his priority the entire time has been to get this right he’s not going to come back until he feels close to 100% like whether he’s all the way back or he just feels strong enough like his priority is winning a championship being as best as he can for

The playoffs and so if it’s tonight if it’s Thursday if it’s next week whatever it is he’s got to get this right because it’s too important for him the rest of the season but also the rest of his career and I think he’s said over and

Over once once he went down with this injury like the point of this is to get it right it’s not to rush back and play on one leg like he was for a couple weeks before the before he went down with the with the last injury you I

Think people forget about what happened right before Jonathan kaminga fell on his knee yeah he was playing on one leg so all those stats you were quot you were citing there right those were onelegged stats I mean those were that’s how good he is on one leg let’s see him

On twole let’s see him do it right a separate category for the one leg stat yeah the flamingo stats that’s what we’re going to be calling them um Danny I’m I’m curious though how long does it take to it’s different than being in basketball shape right like how many

Games it take to different for different people um certain people can certain guys can get back within two or three games certain guys can come back within you know five or six games I think for Joel you know his size and when him being out for that long I don’t think

It’ll take him long but at least seven games for him to feel in Rhythm and if he doesn’t play that I just think it’s he’s not comfortable or he doesn’t feel he’s in conditioning to enough and doesn’t want to put himself out there on the floor not looking at his best

Basketball so I think it’s going to take him these last seven games for him all of them for him to feel like he’s in good Rhythm and in shape for the playoffs and they’re all important as Tim mentioned in their Chase to get out of eighth which is unlikely but not

Unfeasible given this schedule which after this thunder and heat double header coming up for them is pretty friendly um but time just runs thin especially if he doesn’t play one of these two games they’ve been bad without Joel be there’s no sugarco they’ve just been bad that’s probably a loss the

Thunder are that good The Heat are hungry too they need to win that Miami game because look if you’re in SE if you’re in that seven and eight game you win you get Milwaukee that’s good that’s better than Boston I guess it’s still a tall order you lose you’re fighting for

Your life just to get Boston but I love that he’s feeling well enough to come back and I love that he is pushing to come back this season because Joel embiid’s 30 he doesn’t have forever to play in the NBA and there’s a certain like why not seventh eighth I was the

Best player in the NBA before I got hurt why can’t we beat these teams you know it’s a kind of a running gag in the NBA that Boston beats Philadelphia every year in the playoffs last year it was close like people forget because of how embarrassing game seven was for Philly

That they had a chance to win that Series in Philadelphia at home I love that he’s going for it why not why not push for it but is there a moment to you because as Ramona said the the one leg piece of it all is there a moment

That’ll signal oh yeah that move that bit there that signals that Joel embiid is back so for me it’s defense and when he’s fully amped up and engaged he has a closing speed to the rim on defense that is borderline alarming for a guy his size he’s so fast and so explosive when

He decides I’m going to get this block he can get from the elbow to the rim in a blink and guys that size are not supposed to be able to do that when he’s got that burst that is when I will know Joel and beat his back I mean you know

He can be big and he’s got great post moves but if you see him dribbling where he can stop on a dime and pull up like that that’s when you know that need’s right that’s when you know that he is back but the the odds for Philadelphia

To make any sort of meaningful push in in the play the odds are not in their favor you can take a look here this is the odds for each seed they have a 94% chance of being in the playin a 40% chance of being the eighth seed slightly

Higher chance there of the seventh seed and then just a 5% chance of being out of the playin tournament completely and being that sixth seed which is of course what they would love to see happen but that might be a little bit of a tall task so while we wait for the green

Light for DL MV green is here in studio what better time to play a little game a little red light green light all right I’m sure you all played a version of this as a kid right yeah I Rona is already like ready like has her hands on her knees

She’s ready to get going we’re going to do this though with a little twist I’m going to say a team and a round of the playoffs so you’re going to give them a green light if you think they can make it or you’re going to hit the brakes if

You do not think that they will we’re going to get there rot is like rot is out and ready to I can’t see the sign okay yeah the we’re going to start with first round second round conference final yeah first round second round Conference Finals NBA Finals so we’re

Going to start with the 76ers you giving them a green light to survive the play in bracket and make it to the first round red light green light take a step forward if that’s right okay are you giving them a green light to surpass you

All are so can then they make it to the Conference Finals how many of you are given it we’re going second round conference semis here so can they get to the conference semis that depends on the matchup it still depends it’s red light and green light that’s it

Red light there’s no yellow light actually think there was a yellow light all right first round exit that’s what everyone thinks can I win I want to win their opponent tonight the Thunder do you think that they are going to the conference semis oo Danny okay okay on that one anyone

Taking them in the to make it to the Conference Finals this thunder let’s go why not why not why not by the way it all depends where Denver is seated it allend on the sea all right so we’re just going to put a little this is like the Denver Cloud that’s hanging

Over or Sunshine depending big yage a big yage all right you got one more stop are they going to go to the NBA finals the Oklahoma City Thunder anyone anyone moving forward there my car stopped working all right the car has broken down all right back to the beginning I

Got I got another team for you guys got go back got to go back no one took them to go to all the way to the NBA finals so all right first round exit for the Philadelphia 76ers the Conference Finals to for um the Oklahoma City Thunder Los

Angeles Lakers Zack L are they going to get why are you asking just me they going to get out of the play in yes they’re going to get in the play are they going to get to the semifinals okay why not why not see you guys later oh Zach says that he backing

It up all right anyone taking them in the Conference Finals no I can’t go that far can’t go that far all right no one’s taking them to go that far going once go if you wanted you should had perk on the show if you wanted that uh perk will be

Back in studio tomorrow and maybe we will all you know get some be like R over there doing that There

Tim Bontemps joins Malika Andrews on NBA Today to discuss the imminent return of the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid. Then, Ramona Shelburne, Danny Green and Zach Lowe join to discuss when Embiid may return. Finally, the crew plays “Red Light, Green Light,” where they guess how far teams will get in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

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