The Sixers Will Be Without Joel Embiid This Week, McCain Out for a While

Corey Chmara 

This past week, the Sixers only played one game due to the NBA Cup games, so you’d expect them to be fully healthy for that game, which took place in Philadelphia against the Indiana Pacers. However, while the Sixers started the game healthy, both Joel Embiid and Jared McCain suffered significant injuries, which played a major role in the team never really getting anything going. They lost 121-107.

Joel Embiid suffered a sinus fracture after being accidentally struck in the face by an errant forearm and elbow from Pacers G/F Ben Mathurin. Embiid went to the locker room and did not return. He has already been ruled out for Monday’s game in Charlotte and will be re-evaluated in a week, meaning he’ll miss the Sixers' next four games.

Jared McCain, meanwhile, suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, a far more significant injury. While the exact timeline for his return is unclear, it’s likely that he will miss a substantial portion of the season, which is unfortunate given how well he’s played.


Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

McCain, 20, has been having an exceptional rookie season, averaging 15.3 points per game on 46% shooting from the field and 38% from three-point range. He has stepped up when Sixers stars have been sidelined due to injury. If this trend continues throughout the season, the Sixers will miss his presence greatly. McCain had recently been coming off the bench, where his production had dipped somewhat, but that’s expected, given that the Sixers’ stars have been playing in most games.

One player I would like the Sixers to pursue as a one-year replacement for McCain is Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon. Brogdon, 32, is averaging just under 14 points per game this season, and reports suggest the Wizards are open to trading him, depending on the compensation. Brogdon would offer the Sixers shooting, playmaking, and veteran experience, all of which the team has been lacking in their bench guard rotation over the past couple of seasons.


Stephen Gosling/Getty Images

The Sixers have three games this week: @CHA, vs. CHA, and @CLE. Without both Embiid and McCain, they will once again be shorthanded. The team has a 4-4 record when both Tyrese Maxey and Paul George play.

The injury bug has been relentless for the Sixers this season, as they’ve only had one complete game with Maxey, George, and Embiid on the floor together. With McCain now out, the focus should be on keeping those three stars healthy and on the court.

It will be interesting to see how the Sixers adjust without McCain and Embiid, especially since both have carried a large scoring load this season.

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