(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Joel Embiid’s return to the Philadelphia 76ers has been very helpful for the team.
They have won every single game he has played since coming back on April 2 and are now the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference before the playoffs kick off this weekend.
But NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins doesn’t believe that Embiid is fully healed.
In fact, he thinks that he’s not even 80% healthy.
Speaking on ESPN, per NBACentral, Perkins said that Embiid isn’t his regular self yet.
“He has zero dunks since returning from the injury,” Perkins noted, saying this is proof that Embiid isn’t completely over his injury.
Kendrick Perkins believes that Joel Embiid is not even close to being 80% healthy
“He has ZERO dunks since returning from the injury.”
(Via @ESPNNBA ) pic.twitter.com/V8zCCAUOMk
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 18, 2024
Embiid has averaged 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists since he came back from a nasty knee injury that had him on the sidelines for months.
That’s fairly close to his average before the injury: 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists.
But some people have noticed that Embiid isn’t moving with the same speed and power that he had before he was pulled from the lineup at the end of January.
Of course, readjusting to playing professional basketball takes time and it’s reasonable to assume that Embiid needs more time before he is in MVP form again.
But the 76ers might not have time to spare.
They are now set to face the New York Knicks in the opening round of the postseason.
While beating that team without Embiid being at 100% is possible, it’s definitely not easy.
If they had their star player performing like MVP again, they could surprise everyone and beat the second seed.
That would be a welcome development for Philadelphia fans, who have been fearful of their team’s fate ever since Embiid went down months ago.
Embiid has been playing well but is he totally healed and ready for the intensity of the playoffs?
The answer will be revealed on Saturday afternoon.
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