Joel Embiid is set to make his return to the Sixers’ lineup soon

NBA Rumors: Joel Embiid is set to make his return to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup this weekend. 

The last time Joel Embiid played a game for the Philadelphia 76ers was November 6. Since then, the Sixers have dropped out of the top 8 in the Eastern Conference by going 2-6 over that span. As the team tries to make a move back up the East standings, it’s clear that the best version of the team is one that features a fully healthy Embiid.

And it appears that they’re finally going to get back as soon as this weekend. According to The Athletics’ Shams Charania, the expectation is that Embiid will be back in the Sixers’ lineup this weekend.

With Embiid in the lineup this season, the Sixers are 7-2. Without him in the lineup, the Sixers have been an average offense and a very below-average defense. Even though Philly has struggled all season long on the defensive end of the floor, they drop from being a top 3 offense with Embiid to a middle-of-the-pack offense without him.

Even though Embiid hasn’t been as dominant as he’s been in years past, he’s still the team’s leading scorer and has the team’s best Player Efficiency Rating. In somewhat of a “down” start to the season, he’s still averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists per game on 44 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from 3-point range.

The Sixers got off to a strong start this season without Ben Simmons, but it’s become clear that the team simply can’t survive without Simmons and without Embiid. It’s not exactly something that should be surprising to realize, but there is now tangible evidence behind it.

Philly still has plenty to figure out when it comes to the Simmons situation, but it seems like they’re about to welcome Embiid back into the fold. It could be the punch in the arm that the team needs to move back up the East standings.