76ers' Joel Embiid to Undergo Surgery on Hand Injury, Reevaluated in 1-2 Weeks

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will miss time after suffering a torn radial collateral ligament in the fourth metacarpal in his left hand, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. 

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN later reported Embiid will undergo surgery on his hand Friday and will be reevaluated in one to two weeks.

Embiid suffered the injury in Monday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and was already ruled out for Thursday's matchup with the Boston Celtics. 

The 25-year-old has averaged 23.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game this season, all of which lead the 76ers.

The two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection and two-time All-Defensive honoree has largely been a dominant force down low for Philadelphia when healthy. The 7-footer has helped the 76ers turn from the league's laughingstock into a perennial playoff team since making his debut during the 2016-17 season.

Philadelphia brought Embiid along slowly after a broken navicular bone in his right foot caused him to miss the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. He came back in 2016-17 with a minutes restriction as well as planned rest days. However, he dominated when on the court, averaging 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds in just 25.4 minutes per game.

A torn meniscus in his left knee sidelined him for the second half of the year, though, and he played just 31 games.

Embiid has powered through injuries to his knee, back, face, ankle and hand since his rookie year and managed to make the All-Star Game in both of his last two full seasons. He posted 27.5 points, 13.6 boards and 1.9 blocks per game last year.

The 76ers have a few different options to go to in Embiid's absence.

For one, they can insert Kyle O'Quinn into the starting lineup. The forward/center has averaged 3.2 points and 3.7 boards in 10.3 minutes per game.

The 76ers can also turn to Mike Scott, who would play power forward with Al Horford moving to center. Scott has averaged 5.9 points on 41.6 percent shooting.