Joel Embiid Suffers Torn Ligament In Hand

Update #1, 6:16pm: Tim Bontemps of ESPN reports that Embiid will have surgery in New York tomorrow and will be re-evaluated in one-to-two weeks.

Philadelpha 76ers center Joel Embiid has torn a ligament in his left hand, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports. The big man’s gruesome injury occurred on Tuesday night but the extent of the setback wasn’t yet known.

There’s currently no timetable for Embiid return and, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the 25-year-old is still evaluating the treatment options available to him.

In 31 games for the Sixers this season, Embiid has averaged 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds. More importantly, he’s only missed seven games, sporadically throughout the 2019-20 campaign.

While the injury sustained mid-game can reasonably be considered an unfortunate fluke, any absence sustained by Embiid – the 2014 No. 2 pick that missed the first two years of his career – will be met with exasperation.

Of course there’s no guarantee that Embiid’s absence will be a long-term one. Sixers head coach Brett Brown spoke about the potential of being without Embiid for the foreseeable future.

I don’t know about the foreseeable future,” he told Derek Bodner of The Athletic. “It’s disappointing for him not to play tonight, of course.

When Embiid settles on a treatment option, a more distinct timeline is likely to be made available.