CAMDEN, NJ — The Philadelphia 76ers held a Sunday practice before heading down to Charlotte for another rousing matchup against the Hornets. After practice, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse addressed the media, giving updates on several injured players.
Jared McCain
The Sixers announced yesterday that rookie Jared McCain is out indefinitely after tearing the meniscus in his left knee against the Indiana Pacers.
“Well, you guys got the report,” Nurse said of the latest on McCain. “Certainly very disappointing for him, first and foremost, and having a having a great season and all that stuff. [We] don’t really have a timeline yet, till he gets the procedure done to fix it. That should happen shortly.”
So little is known about this point in time, but one thing Nurse mentioned was keeping perspective during this time.
“It’s certainly a difficult one,” Nurse said. “Long-term, I think, is most important in perspective, right? How does this affect him going forward in his in his career? Which we hope is many, many years. Never really get a chance to go back and try to win a Rookie of the Year Award, which I think that’s a major one to have. I mean, if you can get that thing, and you get that for the rest of your life, and one point in time you were Rookie of the Year, it’s obviously a tough way to go out and not having that.”
“But again,” Nuse continued. “Keep it in perspective. It’s long. It’s a long career. Hopefully get him as healthy as we can, get him ready to go as soon as we can.”
Joel Embiid
After McCain, Nurse was asked about the latest on Joel Embiid, who sustained a sinus fracture in the Sixers’ Friday’s matchup.
“Listen, you guys know he’s got a sinus fracture, right?” Nurse said. “It’s been reported. He’s still got another evaluation here shortly this afternoon. [We’ll] see where we’re at. [He] hasn’t been ruled out for tomorrow yet. We just still need information on this last assessment here this afternoon.”
It’s shocking that Embiid has not yet been ruled out as most returns facial fractures are discussed in terms of weeks, not days. If anything, that should be seen as a positive, but the results of the latest assessment should tell more.
Many have also wondered if Embiid will wear a mask upon his return, as has been the case when he’s returned from previous facial fractures.
“I don’t know that either,” Nurse said of Embiid wearing a mask. “I think that’s certainly a possibility. He’s certainly done that before, but I don’t know that. Nobody’s told me that, ‘Yes, it’s going to be a mask situation, for sure.’ Nobody’s told me that. I think it’s really 50/50.”
Caleb Martin
Sixers wing Caleb Martin was another player whose healthy status many wanted to more of.
“Caleb and Bona both did not practice, Nurse told reporters. “Still day-to-day, both of them. Hoping we get them soon. [The] sooner, the better.”
Caleb Martin also addressed the media, giving an update on his health.
“[I’m] feeling better. Yeah, definitely feeling better. Just taking it day by day, just trying to work to get back, get myself back to a level I know I can be at. So everybody’s been great, taking it day by day, just trying to find the best way to keep stacking good days.”
Martin has been dealing with a lingering shoulder injury for a number of weeks. With the Sixers being so short-handed, the competitor in Martin found it difficult to sit when his teammates needed him. Thankfully, Martin appears confident that this lingering injury will be a thing of the past at some point.
“I’m definitely confident,” Martin said of whether this injury could be resolved this season or if it would linger into the offseason. “We’ve been taking it day by day, definitely feeling progress on the day by day. But I feel good and I mean, we’ve all been through stuff before. I’ve been through through stuff before myself. So it’s nothing that I’m super concerned about.
“It’s just something that takes time,” Martin continued, “and sometimes that’s just how it goes. I hate the timing of it, because Jared goes down, and we got things going on right now. So I hate the timing of it. And again, I think that’s been part of my problem, because of time, and I forced playing and stuff when I when I probably shouldn’t. So, I’m gonna get back as soon as possible. But it’s not a lingering concern. It’s just takes time.”
Adem Bona
Not much to report outside of Nurse’s comment that Bona did not practice today.
Kyle Lowry
As if the injury report could not be longer, there was also Kyle Lowry, who missed Friday’s game due to back spasms, to check in on.
“Kyle was in today. He had back spasms. You guys know that too, but he was back today feeling better. Anybody else?” Nurse joked.
Though Lowry has struggled this season, he’s arguably been the Sixers’ best facilitator, although Paul George is pushing for that title. However, that is certainly more of a negative statement of the playmaking ability of this current roster than a positive of Lowry’s level of play.
The Sixers are once again limping through this season. They will have two consecutive matchups against the Charlotte Hornets to figure things out, but they are undoubtedly fighting an uphill battle.
