Joel Embiid is set to be back on the floor Wednesday night in Detroit, but the matchup fans wanted still isn’t happening. The 76ers will finally get their regular starting center in the game, yet the Pistons remain without Jalen Duren, which keeps this from becoming the real Embiid-versus-Duren test.
That’s been the theme early for Philadelphia. The Sixers have already run into some of the East’s biggest names from last season, including two games against the New York Knicks, one against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and now a second meeting with Detroit.
But the first loss on Philly’s schedule came in a game that never really counted as a clean measuring stick, because Embiid didn’t play and the Sixers started a 41-year-old LeBron James at center. From Philadelphia’s side, that was an experiment, not a true look at the team.
This time, Embiid is on pace to play. The problem is that the Pistons’ All-NBA center is out of the picture.
Detroit listed Duren with a right hamstring strain after he suffered the injury in the Pistons’ win over the Miami Heat on October 23. He had just returned for his season debut against the Boston Celtics on October 20, when he played 10 minutes. In that opener, Duren put up 22 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block.
It was a strong way to re-enter the lineup after he spent most of the 2026 offseason in a standoff with the Pistons. He’s expected to be re-evaluated soon, but he will miss Wednesday’s game for sure. That means Embiid will instead see his former teammate, Paul Reed, in the middle.
The Embiid-Duren matchup has already been delayed enough. The two have gone head-to-head four times in their careers, but they haven’t shared the court since February 2025, back when Detroit was starting to hit its stride. Duren’s real breakout came in 2025-2026, a season in which Embiid missed every game against the Pistons.
Duren finished last season with averages of 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and nearly 1.0 blocks per game across 70 games. He earned his first All-Star selection, picked up All-NBA honors, and drew praise for his defense. Embiid has a long track record of going at elite bigs, but recent absences have kept this particular showdown from ever fully taking shape.
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Nick Nurse Just Made The 76ers Frontcourt Wait Even Harder
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Nick Nurse said Barlow is seeing a specialist and has only had limited court time so far, with a re-evaluation expected soon. For a Philadelphia frontcourt already waiting on more clarity, the bigger concern is the uncertainty around when Barlow can realistically rejoin the mix, since the recovery timeline remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]