Joel Embiid injury update: Sixers star (knee) could make season debut this weekend vs. Grizzlies

Joel Embiid could be back on the court for the Philadelphia 76ers as soon as Saturday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“I’m told he’s essentially in the ramp-up phase of his return process, of his debut process,” Charania said on “SportsCenter” on Thursday. “He has completed, from what I’m told, multiple 5-on-5 scrimmages in recent days, and so the Sixers wanted to make sure from a conditioning perspective, his knee, his body is 100% before he makes it back out on the floor for his debut. He has workouts scheduled today and on Friday to evaluate whether he’s going to be able to make a return as soon as this weekend.”

Embiid has been listed as out with “left knee injury management” for the 76ers’ first four games: a 124-109 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, a 115-107 loss to the Toronto Raptors, a 118-114 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers and a 105-95 loss to the Detroit Pistons. The Sixers host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. Paul George, who has been dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee since the preseason, has also been sidelined.

On Tuesday, Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse told reporters that he anticipated the team would have a “much clearer idea on Friday” about Embiid and George’s potential availability for Saturday’s game.

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After the game against the Grizzlies, the Sixers will go on the road to play the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA fined Philadelphia on Tuesday for public statements that were inconsistent with Embiid’s health status.

Without Embiid and George, the Sixers have scored 106.5 possessions this season with a minus-7.2 net rating, both of which rank No. 26 in the league. They have shot a league-worst 27.7% from 3-point range and have yet to record 20 assists in a game. (Every other team is averaging at least 20 assists.)

In an effort to keep Embiid and George healthy for the postseason, Philadelphia has pledged to take a cautious approach this season. “We’re going to be smart about it,” Morey told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps earlier this month. “Part of being smart about it is having both Paul and Joel probably not play many back-to-backs, if any.” 

Embiid added, “If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career.”

Charania said on “SportsCenter” that Embiid’s extended ramp-up process is “a part of what has been described to me as the new normal for Joel Embiid. That’s going to include periodic time off at different points during the season. It’s going to include routine checkups on his knee over the course of the season.”