Joel Embiid receives well wishes from Sixers teammates after shutting down for rest of season: ‘I want him to get back to dominating’

The 76ers finally got to revel in a victorious locker room for the first time since Feb. 4 after topping the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night to snap their nine-game losing skid that overlapped the All-Star break.

And yet, the news that Joel Embiid would miss the rest of the season with an ongoing knee issue permeated the celebratory aftermath. While Friday afternoon’s official announcement from the organization offered a clearer short-term, on-court path forward for the 21-38 Sixers, the overwhelming reaction from teammates late Saturday was to wish Embiid the human a successful recovery.

“That’s my brother, dude,” said starting wing Kelly Oubre Jr. “This is about real life. It’s not about clarity about basketball, or clarity about what we’ve got going on here. I want him to be happy. I want him to get back to dominating and being who he is. …

“At the end of the day, we’re all going to hold it down for him, try to get better in the meantime, so when he does get back, we’re running full-steam.”

Fellow big men Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele both used the word “sad” to describe their emotions about Embiid, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player, shutting himself down after playing in only 19 games this season. Paul George, meanwhile, acknowledged it is frustrating that his first season attempting to form an enticing Big Three with Embiid and point guard Tyrese Maxey never gained real traction. The 34-year-old George has also dealt with multiple injuries this season, including a tendon injury in his little finger that is still being protected by a splint, and noted “each year is a year I can’t get back.”

George, though, echoed coach Nick Nurse’s pregame comments that — at least for now — he plans to continue playing, rather than also ending his season early in order to help the Sixers more viscerally pivot into tank mode. Ditto for Maxey, who logged nearly 40 minutes Saturday even with a sprained little finger on his shooting hand that surely contributed to his 2-for-14 mark from the floor. Maxey left the locker room before it opened to the media after Saturday’s game.

“I’m going to give everything I’ve got to this group,” George said late Saturday. “Keep fighting and see where that gets us.”

The win over Golden State means the Sixers enter Sunday 2½ games back of the Chicago Bulls for the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot with 23 games remaining, starting with Monday’s home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers before a two-game road trip at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics. Beating the Warriors also moved the Sixers a half-game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets — or “behind” the Nets for the NBA’s seventh-worst record, which would decrease the Sixers’ odds of keeping their top-six protected pick in the draft lottery.

» READ MORE: How will Joel Embiid’s inability to a complete an injury-free season affect his NBA legacy?

Coincidentally, the Sixers’ first game since the Embiid announcement came against the opponent led by Steve Kerr, who also coached Team USA in last summer’s Olympics.

Embiid’s participation in the Games, instead of spending the offseason solely focused on rehab and recovery following meniscus surgery last February, is at the root of some outside criticism of how Embiid has managed his knee issue. Embiid defended his choice in November, and Nurse (who previously coached the Canadian national team) has maintained that he was fine with Embiid playing.

Kerr on Saturday largely reiterated his comments from when the Olympic topic was initially broached during the Sixers’ visit to Golden State in early January. Kerr said Embiid spent the first week with Team USA regaining his basketball conditioning. By the time they all arrived in France, Kerr added, Embiid “had found a pretty good rhythm, and had worked his way back to where he needed to be.” The coach praised Embiid’s “incredible performance” while matching up against Nikola Jokic during Team USA’s comeback semifinal win over Serbia.

Kerr also referenced that Embiid’s former personal physical therapist, Kim Caspare, was with him throughout Team USA’s run, and said that participating in the Olympics was “ultimately a decision that the player has to make.”

“I think it was a very gratifying experience for him,” Kerr said of Embiid. “… It worked out as we had hoped. And I think, from Joel’s standpoint, I’m sure he hoped that that would carry forward to this year. And obviously his health wouldn’t allow for that.”

One Sixers victory does not erase this overwhelmingly dismal season, which began with championship aspirations before immediately spiraling largely because of Embiid’s unavailability and limitations when he did step on the floor.

Yet when asked about elements that Nurse hopes his team can carry throughout the stretch run, the coach highlighted offensive execution that this week “went up a big level.” As Embiid’s starting-lineup replacement, Drummond — who has been hampered by a toe injury for long stretch of his own trying season — notched a double-double, with 10 points and 14 rebounds against the Warriors. Yabusele, meanwhile, finished with 18 points — including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc — while wearing glasses to protect eye injuries sustained earlier this week.

Now, the Sixers know they officially must move forward without Embiid for the rest of 2024-25. Yet instead of focusing on their on-court path, Oubre and Drummond sent speedy-recovery wishes to Embiid the human.

“Take care of himself. Get his mind right. Get his body right,” Oubre said. “We all know the talent that Joel is. I just want to see that guy. I just want to see him smiling, trolling, and just get back to normal. Because the NBA is not normal without him.”

Added Drummond: “He definitely gave it his all to come back and play for us, and has really done the work to be on the floor. But it’s out of his control. His body’s not cooperating, and he needs to take necessary steps to get right.”