When the championship-starved Philadelphia 76ers begin their second-round playoff series against the top-seeded Miami Heat on Monday night, they'll be forced to take the court without their MVP candidate. Joel Embiid won't travel for Games 1 and 2, after suffering an orbital fracture and a minor concussion in the team's first-round series against the Toronto Raptors.
Embiid -- who was already playing with a torn right thumb ligament, which will reportedly require offseason surgery -- could return to action when the series moves back to Philadelphia, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. But the 28-year-old will first need to clear league concussion protocols and other key tests. And even if Embiid plays while wearing a protective mask, NBA on TNT reporter Jared Greenberg believes the Sixers' chances of advancing are slim.
"I didn't like Philly with a healthy Embiid in this series," Greenberg explained to the Reiter Than You show on Monday. "People call me a Philly hater, because I've despised and been outspoken about 'The Process.' And I think anybody who thinks 'The Process' is complete is absolutely nuts. 'The Process' is still evolving... I don't blame Embiid at all, I want to be very clear. This was a fluke injury, and maybe we can blame [head coach] Doc Rivers.
"But, it's like, inevitable -- every year, at clutch moments, this guy is missing. Whether it's an injury, an illness, or a freak thing where he gets hit in the face. This guy's missed more playoff games than most players play playoff games in their entire career. It's wild. But I don't give Philly a shot... I don't like Philly, even if Embiid comes back and has no ill effects of his face being broken."
Embiid suffered the head injury in the final minutes of Game 6 last Thursday, while defending Raptors star Pascal Siakam inside the paint. This injury isn't new to the superstar big man. Back in 2018, he suffered a left facial fracture and concussion after colliding with teammate Markelle Fultz. That injury did require surgery and force him to miss three weeks. In 68 games this season, Embiid averaged an NBA-high 30.6 points with 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Philadelphia, which clinched the East's fourth seed with a 51-31 overall record, will play Game 1 against Miami on Monday night (7:30 ET tipoff). According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the 76ers currently have a 47-percent chance to reach the East finals, and only a 17-percent chance to make the NBA Finals for the first time since 2001. The franchise hasn't won a title since 1982-83.
The entire NBA playoff conversation between Greenberg and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
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