Joel Embiid Rolls Ankle at Practice, Questionable vs. Hornets Because of Injury
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is questionable for Saturday's game against the Charlotte Hornets after rolling his ankle during practice on Friday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Sarah Todd.
The injury was suffered when Embiid landed on teammate Amir Johnson's foot. Per Todd, Sixers coach Brett Brown said it was a "slight roll of the ankle."
Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice tweeted out an official update from the team:
Any injury is a concern for Embiid, who is an elite young player but also has a history of health issues.
After the 2014 No. 3 overall pick needed two years to simply see the floor, his rookie year was limited to just 31 games in 2016-17. He only played 63 games last year, with an orbital bone fracture causing him to miss several weeks at the end of the season.
Fortunately for Philadelphia, he was able to play through the injury in the postseason.
Embiid is clearly a game-changing player on the court, earning an All-Star selection in his first full NBA season last year. So far in 2018-19, the center is averaging 29.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
The team will simply hope the latest issue doesn't force him to miss an extended period.
Amir Johnson and Mike Muscala are capable backups with plenty of NBA experience, although there is a significant drop in talent whenever Embiid is off the court.
