Paul Hudrick has been covering the Sixers as a writer, reporter, podcaster, on-camera personality and analyst since 2016. He is the Editor-in-Chief at Liberty Ballers.
After practice Monday, Joel Embiid could be seen drenched in sweat and doing handstands as he put up shots alongside Tyrese Maxey.
The team's win in Chicago this past Saturday was the 11th straight game Embiid has missed. He dealt with a sprained left foot that he suffered in a Christmas Day in Boston and then swelling in his surgically repaired left knee. He's been out nearly the entire month, last playing on Jan. 4 in a blowout win over the Nets in Brooklyn.
In addition to Embiid, Paul George will also miss Tuesday's game against Los Angeles. The veteran wing injured the pinky on his non-shooting hand in the win over the Bulls. The team is still awaiting the full results of further imaging done Monday. Until then, we'll have to wait and see George's status against Sacramento.
Elsewhere on the roster, Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry were full participants at practice. Martin has missed the last eight games with a groin issue while Lowry finally returned this past Saturday after missing the previous 10 games with a recurring hip injury.
KJ Martin and Guerschon Yabusele were both limited, per the team. KJ Martin has missed the last 17 games with a stress reaction in his left foot. Yabusele is still dealing with a knee issue that caused him to miss his first games of the season recently.
Andre Drummond did not practice as he still battles what seems to be a pretty nasty toe injury.
Between injuries to his knee and foot, a suspension, and sitting out one half of back-to-backs, Embiid has played in just 13 of the Sixers' 44 games this season. The team's modest two-game winning streak has them at 17-27 -- even in the loss column with the Bulls for the 10th seed and final play-in spot.
The Sixers are in a tricky position. While tanking the rest of the 2024-25 season could increase their chances of retaining the top-six protected first-round pick they owe the Thunder, several teams behind (in front?) of them have gotten a massive head start in that department. Many of those teams will also have the potential to become even worse after the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
What the Sixers plan to do ahead of that deadline is anyone's guess at this point.