Joel Embiid Frustrated to be Missing 76ers’ Postseason

Philadelphia 76ers’ All-Star center Joel Embiid expressed his frustration at not being fit to play following the team’s Monday defeat.

The 76ers lost 113 – 103 to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of Round 1 of the 2018 NBA Playoffs. The team had won 17 consecutive games before the loss to Miami.

Joel Embiid has missed 10 of those games after being injured on March 28. He sustained a broken orbital bone and concussion in a collision with teammate Markelle Fultz.

In spite of clearing the NBA concussion protocol, Joel Embiid has not yet been cleared to play. After Philadelphia’s defeat, he wrote “F—ing sick and tired of being babied,” in an Instagram post.

Embiid averaged 22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 63 games in the regular season. The 76ers’ postseason hopes will get a huge boost if he can make it back in time.

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“I promised the city the playoffs,” the player told ESPN.

“And I’m not on the court and I may not be on Thursday either. I wish more than anything that I was out there. I just want the green light to play.”

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown said he has no issue with Embiid venting his frustration:

“He just wants to play basketball, he wants to be with his team. He wants to play in front of the fans, and he wants to see this through. And when he’s not able to do that, he gets frustrated, and we respect his frustration. It’s born out of competitiveness, and it’s born out of him wanting to be with his team.”

Brown refused to give a timeline of Joel Embiid’s recovery from surgery. Although he did say that Embiid is not fit to take contact in training sessions.