NBA: Philadelphia 76ers’ reigning MVP Joel Embiid will return prior to the start of the playoffs

The coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Nick Nurse, said on Wednesday that there is a “good likelihood” that Joel Embiid, the current NBA MVP, will return to action before the playoffs.

“It seems highly likely that he will make a comeback before the playoffs,” Nurse said before to the Sixers’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Embiid, who leads the team in scoring and rebounds this season with an average of 35.3, has missed 27 games due to a meniscus injury he sustained against Golden State on January 30 that needed surgery on February 6. As of Wednesday, the Sixers have a 10-16 record in the games played since Embiid’s injury.

Although Embiid began working on the court two weeks ago, the organization has been evasive about how much work he has been doing.

“He’s on the court, as you guys know, but we still don’t have a timeline,” Nurse said, adding that due to Philadelphia’s four-game West Coast trip, he has not had in-person FaceTime talks with his star center. It seems likely that he is improving daily. He’s attempting to become more powerful, self-assured, in shape, and intense.

The nurse said simply that Embiid was “on the court” and “we’ll let you know when we get there,” without providing an estimated time of return, when questioned about Embiid’s on-court workouts or if they included scrimmages against the Sixers’ G-League squad.

After Wednesday, Philadelphia will have nine games left in the regular season. As of right now, the 76ers sit seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.