Joel Embiid’s input has carried a lot of weight this season.
From the minutes he’s played to the injuries he’s played through, his opinion matters. This has created a bit of a word problem for the Sixers.
After being listed as doubtful to play against San Antonio on Wednesday, Joel Embiid was officially ruled out, and minutes, when he said he felt good enough to play, he was reinserted into the starting lineup.
It wasn’t just the swift change in status that was surprising, but also the circumstances surrounding the decisions. Embiid’s sprained right hand was visibly bruised and swollen prior to the Sixers 112-106 win over the Spurs, and despite expressing difficulty using the hand at all, he played.