The Philadelphia 76ers stunned the NBA World last night after they announced Joel Embiid for the OKC Thunder matchup. Embiid made his highly-anticipated return after missing 29 straight games because of a meniscus injury in his knee. And the impact of his return was evident from the get-go. Although the reigning MVP looked rusty on the court following his 2-month hiatus, he helped the Sixers beat the 3rd seeded OKC squad. Despite Philly’s 109-105 win, Warriors Forward Draymond Green was shocked by Embiid’s return at this stage of the season.

Green addressed Joel Embiid’s early return from injury on the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show. The former DPOY claimed he was “shocked” to see Embiid back on the floor because he doesn’t believe, “they have the roster to compete at the high level” and go deep in the playoffs. The Sixers have fallen off immensely since Embiid got injured in January. They are currently seeded 8th in the Eastern Conference and will likely have to compete in the play-in tournament to qualify for the playoffs. According to Green, the 30-year-old might be risking getting injured again to fight a lost battle for the Sixers.

The play-in tournament will begin on April 16, and it is uncertain if Embiid will regain his MVP form till then. “So, could be just kind of his way for tuning up for the Olympics.” Green contemplated. He also claimed Embiid might be back early to prepare for the Paris Olympics which will start after the end of this season. Embiid announced in October that he would represent Team USA and not Cameroon or France, mainly because his son is American.

Joel Embiid’s return does not guarantee playoff success for the Sixers

Draymond Green also addressed Joel Embiid’s post-game comments, where he admitted that yesterday’s game would be the hardest one for him. The Warriors forward disagreed as he believes it will get tougher after 2-3 games when the initial adrenaline rush goes down. DG spoke from his experience of playing after a major injury and said Embiid might not face the crash because he is a great player. It could still happen.

Embiid looked rusty on the court against the Thunder. Although he finished with 24 points, he had an abysmal shooting night. He went 6 of 14 from the field and missed all three of his three-point attempts. However, the Centre did come up with a clutch steal on Josh Giddey when OKC had the chance to take the lead.

The reigning MVP’s return does not guarantee Philly’s success (despite the team being 27-8 in his presence), as they will have to go through tough competition to get into the playoffs. Even if the Sixers make it to the post-season, they will face the top-seeded teams in the first round. Moreover, Embiid’s co-star Tyrese Maxey is also dealing with a hip injury, per latest reports. He missed his second straight game yesterday.

Even though they are a game behind the Miami Heat, with multiple uncertainties in the roster, Draymond Green could be right about Joel Embiid risking too much for nothing!

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