Joel Embiid Out Games 1 and 2, Sixers Hopeful for Game 3 Return
The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid for at least the first two games of their second-round best of seven series with the Miami Heat, but the team is hopeful he could return in Game 3, in Philadelphia.
Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion in Thursday's Game 6 win in Toronto and will need to pass the NBA concussion protocols to be cleared to play.
After he meets with doctors, it will be a pain threshold situation for Embiid moving forward, which he is no stranger to, playing with a torn ligament in his thumb in Round 1.
With Emiid out, the Sixers could start Paul Reed at the five with DeAndre Jordan and Paul Millsap candidates for some minutes.
One name to keep an eye on is rookie Charles Bassey, who hasn’t played a single minute this postseason because of a right shoulder sprain and last appeared in a game back in February.
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers indicated that he would not hesitate to use all four centers, including Bassey with Embiid out.
Bassey has limited NBA time, but had impressive string of games for the Delaware Blue Coats and during his limited NBA time, had 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in 22 minutes off the bench in a December game and added 12 points with seven rebounds, one steal and three blocks in 19 minutes off the bench in a game in November.