76ers' Joel Embiid Out vs. Pistons with Sprained Ankle Injury; Return Unknown
October 26, 2019
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will be out Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons because of a sprained right ankle, according to NBA.com.
The skilled center suffered the injury during Wednesday's season-opening win over the Boston Celtics.
Embiid has been plagued by injuries since he was drafted third overall in 2014. The 7-footer missed the first two seasons of his career because of foot issues, and a knee injury limited him to 31 games in his first season on the court in 2016-17. He also missed time in 2017-18 after suffering an orbital fracture late in the year.
CJ McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"
Jordan, Irving & Paul Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA
Boogie, Luka and the Rest of the NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season
Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors
Dwyane Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This NBA Season
OKC’s Russell Westbrook Makes NBA History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle
Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear
29 Years Ago Today, Michael Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points
Chris Bosh Is Getting His No. 1 Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami
Steph Curry Returns to Houston for the First Time Since His Moon Landing Troll
Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year
Step Aside Lakers, Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine
LeBron Passes Jordan on All-Time Scoring List, Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books
Trae Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka Doncic
LeBron James and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album
Miami Heat Legend Dwyane Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February
Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments and Gifts from Steph Curry
Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks
Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Superstar DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans
The NBA All-Star Game Will Be Competitive Again If the League Raises the Stakes
While he averaged 63.5 games over the past two years, the 25-year-old has yet to appear in more than 64 games during a regular season. That's a mark he reached last season despite being hampered by back and knee issues, and the lingering knee injury caused him to miss a postseason game as well.
Philadelphia has no shortage of experience playing without Embiid, but that doesn't make replacing him any easier. He established career highs in both scoring (27.5 ppg) and rebounding (13.6 rpg) last season while earning his second consecutive All-Star selection.
With Ben Simmons, Al Horford and Tobias Harris, the Sixers still have plenty of talent to compete in the Eastern Conference even if Embiid spends some time on the shelf this season. In the meantime, head coach Brett Brown will likely use some combination of Horford and Kyle O'Quinn to hold down the 5-spot.