The Sixers are set to get two key names back in the mix Wednesday night in Indianapolis.
Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe are both off the injury report for Philadelphia’s road matchup with the Pacers, clearing the way for each to return after sitting out Sunday’s first loss of the season against the Detroit Pistons. Embiid missed that game for right plantar fasciitis management, a planned absence because he is not playing both ends of back-to-backs at the moment.
Edgecombe, meanwhile, was sidelined by an abdominal contusion after taking a hit on Saturday, with the issue worsening enough to land him on the report late. He practiced in full on Tuesday, which pointed toward a comeback.
Philadelphia still has several frontcourt absences to manage. Tacko Fall remains out with a quad injury, Jabari Walker is out with a knee issue after he “tweaked” his left knee on Saturday, and Dominick Barlow is also out with a back injury that has no firm timetable yet. Nick Nurse said over the weekend that Fall is getting closer, but he is not ready just yet.
Indiana’s report is crowded in a different way. The Pacers are dealing with their third game in four nights, and almost the entire rotation shows up on the list.
Aaron Nesmith is probable with a left hamstring strain, and Obi Toppin is probable with a left hand sprain. Tyrese Haliburton is questionable with left hamstring tightness, while Andrew Nembhard is questionable with neck soreness.
Ben Sheppard is out with a left injury, and the Pacers are already without Ivica Zubac and T.J. McConnell because of preexisting injuries.
In Other News...
Adem Bona Just Put Real Pressure On The Sixers Backup Center Race
A recent run of minutes gave Adem Bona the kind of opportunity the 76ers have been waiting to see him seize. In 25 minutes, he finished with six points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, a line that underscored why the coaching staff had already envisioned him as part of the center rotation. With injuries thinning the big-man group and Andre Drummond gone, the pathway behind Joel Embiid has opened wider than expected.
Bonas case is built less on scoring than on the traits Philadelphia needs most when Embiid sits: activity, rim protection and work on the glass. The competition for backup center minutes is still shaped by who is available, but Bona has clearly put himself in position to be the primary option off the bench. For a team trying to preserve Embiid while staying solid in the frontcourt, that is no small development. [Read more 🡒]
Why The Nets Wanted No Part Of Jaylen Brown
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For the Sixers, the backstory is part of the larger appeal of landing a player who has settled in and produced right away. Brown is performing well this season, and while the Brooklyn angle is mostly a what-if now, it helps explain why his arrival in Philadelphia mattered beyond the normal trade chatter. The Nets may have had their reasons for staying away, but the Sixers are the ones benefiting from what they saw as a clean fit. [Read more 🡒]
Anfernee Simons Is Reviving A 76ers Problem Fans Thought Was Fixed
Anfernee Simons has not given the 76ers much early return through four games, and the rough start has only sharpened an issue Philadelphia can ill afford to revisit. The bench scoring has lagged badly, with the team sitting last in the league at 17.5 points per game, leaving the second unit looking far less dependable than it needs to be for a team trying to build momentum.
Philadelphia has survived so far on defense and timely plays late, but that formula gets a lot harder to sustain if the reserves do not start carrying more of the load. Simons was brought in to help stabilize that part of the rotation, and his scoring touch is now at the center of whether the 76ers can keep their early success from turning into a more familiar kind of problem. [Read more 🡒]