The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the darkhorses this NBA season and their chances just got better with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler. Paired with rising stars like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, they are expected to improve on last season's finish with lesser excuses.
However, a new development could alter those plans. According to Rich Hoffman, Embiid hurt his hand in their game against the Utah Jazz. It seems that the Cameroonian center has been playing through pain with the injury, something he originally incurred against the Phoenix Suns last year.
As of this writing, it remains to be seen as to how long Embiid can play with the injury. Until the revelation was made, Embiid has been performing well for the Sixers who are currently running 5th in the Eastern Conference with a 10-7 win-loss record.
In 17 games, Embiid has been averaging 27.4 points, 13 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. Those are big numbers to fill in the event that head coach Brett Brown loses the 24-year-old center.
For those who have followed Embiid's career, injuries are nothing new. He has dealt with food and knee injuries in two seasons, a reason why he has played sparingly, CBS Sports said.
In his rookie season alone, he only played 31 games averaging 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. Last year, he doubled that by playing 63 games and averaged 22.9 points and 11 rebounds per outing.
One can easily see how Embiid has improved every year with the Sixers expected to make it farther in this year's NBA playoffs. And with a tested veteran in Butler entering the fray, the odds of that from happening just got better.
For now, Embiid claims he is ready to go - meaning he will continue to play through the pain. Risky as it may sound and for as long as he is able to deliver the numbers and help Philly's campaign, the final decision still falls at the hands of Sixers management.
The 2018-19 NBA season is still in the early stages and the 76ers can afford to give Embiid some rest. It may also be wise to have the Cameroonian's hand checked to see the severity of the injury. Should a medical procedure be needed, such could hint at Embiid being forced out of the season at the worst possible scenario.
Embiid and Butler do want to win but a player who is not at 100-percent could eventually become a liability rather than an asset to coach Brown and his wards. The Sixers were hosting the Charlotte Hornets as of this writing, and Embiid hardly showed any ill-effect of the injury.
