76ers Injury Report Grows: Drummond Out, Embiid, Maxey, George Sit Out Against Cavaliers

The Philadelphia 76ers knew they would be shorthanded against the Cleveland Cavaliers before they fired up the back-to-back set, beginning with a matchup against the New York Knicks. For the time being, the Sixers’ one-time All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey is recovering from a hamstring injury. He’ll be re-evaluated later this week to determine his full recovery timeline. While Maxey was the only player out for the Sixers on Tuesday, the injury report is more crowded for Wednesday’s game against the Cavs. Just a few hours before tip-off, the Sixers added the veteran center Andre Drummond to the report. Dealing with an illness, the Sixers have deemed Drummond questionable to play on Wednesday against the Cavs. If Drummond gets the nod to play, the chances of him collecting another start would be high. If not, then Nick Nurse will really have to shake up the team’s starting five.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Sixers made the expected move to rule out Joel Embiid for the second night of the back-to-back set. Earlier this year, Embiid claimed that back-to-backs are likely out of the question for him moving forward. The star center walked back that statement after the game. “I want to [play]—that’s up to those guys. I know I said I will never play back-to-backs, but I’m a troll. I’m sure at some point I’ll play [back-to-backs]. I feel good right now. We’ll see, but it’s up to them,” Embiid said regarding the chances of playing against the Cavs.

The door might be open for Embiid to play two nights in a row in the future, but it won’t happen after his 26-minute showing against New York on Tuesday. As for Drummond, he’s been available for the first ten games. He started in all but one of those matchups. Without Embiid, the Sixers have rolled out Drummond for an average of 26 minutes per game. With Embiid in the lineup, Drummond checked off the bench for 18 minutes. Drummond is likely viewed as a game-time decision for the Sixers against the Cavs on Wednesday. If he joins Maxey, Embiid, and Paul George on the out list, the Sixers would likely look to Guerschon Yabusele to start at the five, with the rookie Adem Bona potentially getting some valuable minutes.

The Sixers and the Cavs tip-off at 7:30 PM ET.

Sixers Face a Tough Task Against the Cavaliers

The Sixers’ injury woes continue as they will be without Andre Drummond, Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey for their matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With a depleted lineup, the Sixers will have their work cut out for them against a Cavaliers team that features two legit big men in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Head coach Nick Nurse acknowledged the challenge, saying, “It’s obviously, one of the biggest teams in the league and both those guys play really well right now, obviously, as their team’s playing really well. It’s gonna be difficult, We’re probably gonna have to play small, right? And we’re probably gonna have to give (Adem) Bona some cracks out there, too just to give some of these guys some rest off the back-to-back.”

Drummond’s Absence Adds to Sixers’ Woes

Drummond’s absence comes at a particularly difficult time for the Sixers. With Embiid sidelined, they will need all hands on deck to combat the Cavaliers’ size. Drummond’s inconsistent usage had him averaging 9.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 22.5 minutes across his last five contests, but his presence would likely be missed against Cleveland’s frontcourt. Drummond was deemed questionable to play due to an illness, but ultimately he was ruled out shortly before the game.

Embiid and George to Return on Friday

While Embiid and George are out for this contest against the Cavaliers due to their management plan, they are expected to return on Friday against the Orlando Magic to begin a 3-game road trip. Nurse was optimistic about their recovery, saying, “Both of them responded well. Both of them, obviously, are not playing tonight as part of the return to play. Paul coming off the bone bruise and Joel coming back to playing. Both will be playing Friday and now we’re at the situation where Paul’s minutes restrictions are over and we’ll just see where we’re at with Joel minutes restriction wise going forward.”

Sixers Aim for a Win Despite Injuries

With so many key players sidelined, the Sixers will need to find a way to pull off an upset against the Cavaliers. They will have to rely on their depth and their collective effort to overcome the challenge presented by Cleveland. The Sixers and the Cavs tip-off at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Looking Ahead: Embiid’s Minutes and the Road Ahead

Embiid’s minutes restriction will be something to keep an eye on. His statement about back-to-backs might be a troll, as he said, but it will be interesting to see if he can play two nights in a row in the future. The Sixers will be looking to make a deep run in the playoffs, and their performance on the road will be crucial. They will need to find a way to overcome their injury woes and remain competitive despite the challenges they are facing.