Sixers’ Joel Embiid is in the ‘ramp-up phase’ of his rehab process according to Nick Nurse

With a loss on Wednesday to the Suns, the 76ers are now 38-31 this season. That is eighth in the Eastern Conference with 13 games left. Chances are that Philadelphia will be participating in the play-in tournament. The team has been on a downward spiral with Joel Embiid’s extended absence. 

Embiid has missed the last 22 games in a row for Philly. The big man needed a cleanup procedure on his knee. He got the surgery on 2/6 and has been recovering since. Ahead of their matchup on Wednesday vs. the Suns, head coach Nick Nurse gave an update on the reigning league MVP. According to Nurse, Embiid is in the “ramp-up phase” of his rehab process. Philly is still hopeful that Embiid will return at some time in April.

How close is Joel Embiid to making his return for the 76ers this season?

#76ers coach Nick Nurse said Joel Embiid (knee) is in “ramp up” phase to start the steps of playing 1-on-1, playing 5-on-5, then having contact practice to playing in a game. #Suns pic.twitter.com/Pf5VNbrmRm

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 21, 2024

Joel Embiid’s last game played for the 76ers this season was on January 30th vs. the Warriors. The 30-year-old fell that game and hurt his knee. Philadelphia’s All-NBA center has been out since then and has been recovering from a procedure on his knee. With Embiid in the lineup, the Sixers are 26-8 in 2023-24. Without the seven-time all-star, Philly is 12-23. All-star SG Tyrese Maxey has been doing what he can to keep the team afloat. However, it’s not easy for the Sixers to win without Embiid in the lineup.

Luckily, head coach Nick Nurse was able to share a positive update on Embiid with the media on Wednesday. He noted that Embiid is in the “ramp-up phase” of his recovery process. Additionally, Nurse said that the big man has been on the court almost every day. An encouraging sign that he’s moving in the right direction. All of Embiid’s checkups have been positive as well. It might be a matter of time until the 2022-23 league MVP takes the court again.

Nick Nurse provides a positive update on Joel Embiid’s recovery process. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/EUxnCkBePi

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 21, 2024

Before his injury, Embiid was averaging (35.3) points, (11.3) rebounds, (5.7) assists, (1.1) steals, and (1.8) blocks per game. That kind of production is why he won MVP last season. Embiid was on pace to do it again in 2023-24. The Sixers have struggled without him in their lineup. Philadelphia is 4-6 in their last 10 games. Their last game of the regular season is Sunday, April 14th vs. the Brooklyn Nets. We’ll have to wait and see if Embiid can return before then and give the team a much-needed boost.