By Matt Gregan, Sports Talk Philly Editor
The injuries just keep mounting for the 76ers. Monday's injury report, featuring a slew of players from throughout the starting lineup, felt like it was a mile long.
Joel Embiid, who left the game against Portland in the first quarter with a left ankle injury, will miss the team's upcoming game against the Phoenix Suns. Head coach Brett Brown on Monday said he thinks Embiid will be able to step on the court again before the playoffs begin. The team, for now, is utilizing a cautious approach involving giving Embiid treatment as they further evaluate his injury.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Ben Simmons is expected to miss the remainder of the season after having surgery to remove a loose body in his knee. Simmons will have his post-operative evaluation in two weeks.
Josh Richardson, after scoring a season-high 34 points in the loss to Portland, will be out against the Suns due to rest. The Suns, led by Devin Booker, are currently one of the hottest teams inside of the NBA bubble. Being without Embiid and Richardson, two of the Sixers' best defenders, will make it even more challenging to stop a potent Suns offense.
Multiple other players also showed up on the 76ers' Monday injury report. Tobias Harris is questionable with right ankle soreness and Al Horford is questionable with left knee soreness. Keeping everyone healthy through the final three seeding games will be a priority for Brown.
One potential way to keep everyone healthy is to manage their minutes heading into the playoffs. How Brown attempts to have his players "find that balance of trying to compete and find a rhythm" while also managing their minutes to keep them healthy heading into the playoffs will definitely be something to pay attention to throughout this week.