Philadelphia 76ers Overrule Joel Embiid, Sideline Him Against Detroit Pistons
The Philadelphia 76ers decided to rest center Joel Embiid due to plantar fasciitis management despite his public desire to play.
The Philadelphia 76ers decided against the wishes of center Joel Embiid, ruling him out for Sunday night's matchup against the Detroit Pistons due to right foot plantar fasciitis management. Just a day prior, following a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, Embiid had playfully asked reporters to campaign on his behalf so the team would let him play in the second leg of the team's back-to-back schedule.
"I actually want to play tomorrow, so can you guys put pressure on them," Embiid said with a smile after Saturday's win over Milwaukee. "... I want to play tomorrow, so start writing articles and put pressure on them so they'll let me play."
The organization ultimately overruled the former MVP to prioritize his long-term health and keep him available for the remainder of the season. Over his 10-year career, injuries have heavily impacted Embiid's availability, limiting him to an average of just 49 games per season.
During Saturday's win against the Milwaukee Bucks, Embiid recorded his tenth career triple-double by putting up 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. His absence creates a major challenge for the 76ers, who are managing an increasingly depleted frontcourt rotation.
Philadelphia's frontcourt depth took multiple hits, with the team also ruling out big men Dominick Barlow due to a lumbar spine bone stress response, Jabari Walker with left knee soreness, and Tacko Fall. Walker sustained his knee injury during the third quarter of Saturday's game.
With Embiid and other rotational bigs sidelined, Adem Bona remains the only true active center for the Sixers. Forward Dean Wade, who recently made his season debut on Saturday, is expected to log minutes at center as well.
Meanwhile, LeBron James returns to the Philadelphia starting lineup after being held out of Saturday's victory over Milwaukee for sciatica management. Team protocols dictate that James is not expected to play both ends of back-to-back games this season.
On the opposing side, the Detroit Pistons face their own injury setbacks ahead of the matchup. All-NBA center Jalen Duren has been ruled out with a right hamstring strain and is scheduled to be reevaluated in two weeks after avoiding a major injury against the Miami Heat.