Joel Embiid Injury Update: Nick Nurse 'pretty confident' of Sixers' star return 

Joel Embiid has already lost his candidacy in the MVP race after failing to finish 65 games this season. His absence has been one of the reasons for the Philadelphia 76ers’ recent decline late in the 2023-24 season. Embiid went down with a knee injury, but now there is hope for his return.

Embiid suffered a torn meniscus in February when he went down against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter. So far, he has played only 34 games for the 76ers this season.

Previously, Joel Embiid has said that he was hoping to return to the court before the regular season ended. Nick Nurse, the 76ers coach, gave an update on Embiid's potential return to the team ahead of the season.

“He [Embiid] did see a doctor last week. They’re happy with the progress. The whisper is of him being on court, I believe, are true. But I haven’t seen any. We have been gone for a long time.”

The 76ers coach also added that he was "pretty confident" that the star player would be back on the court before the postseason starts.

Embiid's injury has been a big concern for the team even before he finally went out in February. He was reportedly dealing with knee problems throughout the season.

Joel Embiid was having a historic season with the 76ers. In the 34 games he played, he averaged 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest.

The Philadelphia 76ers are scheduled to play seven games in April before the postseason starts. They are currently ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference and in the Play-In spot. If Embiid returns before the Play-In Tournament, their chances of going deep into the playoffs might get a boost.

ESPN insider says Joel Embiid is nowhere close to returning

There have been speculations that Joel Embiid would be able to return to the basketball court before the playoffs start. However, concerns regarding his health are still something that the 76ers have to worry about. An update regarding Embiid being re-evaluated was scheduled last week; however, the 76ers failed to give any update.

According to an update by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Joel Embiid’s progress is nowhere close to what the 76ers had previously anticipated. The NBA insider suggested that the reigning MVP was “nowhere close” to returning to the court.

"He's not anywhere close right now to coming back, but he is able to get on the court and do some light work here,” said Shelburne.

However, she also added that there is a strong hope on the team that the star player will be able to return before the playoffs.

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“The hope that they have in Philly is that they can just stay in the mix for Joel Embiid to come back the last week or so of the season at least where he has a chance to get back some conditioning for the playoffs."

Even if Embiid returns to the roster before the playoffs, he would need his time for conditioning and might not have fully recovered. Moreover, there is a high chance that he would be on minute restrictions, which could certainly hurt the 76ers' chances of making a run in the playoffs.