Philadelphia 76ers Injury Report (Nov 2nd): Latest update on Joel Embiid and Nicolas Batum's status
The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, Nov. 5. The Sixers have enjoyed a strong start to the season, recording two wins in their first three games. The Raptors, on the other hand, have lost three of their fist five contests.
Philadelphia and Toronto faced each other on Saturday, Oct. 28, with the Sixers securing a 114-107 victory over their conference counterparts. At the time of writing, the Sixers are expected to have Joel Embiid available for their contest. However, Nicolas Batum, who was recently acquired as part of the James Harden trade, is listed as out.
Batum will be a big addition to the Sixers roster. His floor spacing ability will be invaluable in creating the space Embiid needs to be at his best in the middle of the court. Embiid is the reigning NBA MVP and will be dealing with a significant amount of defensive attention throughout the season.
With Harden no longer part of the franchise, Tyrese Maxey will likely continue in his larger role for the team. Maxey has thrived to begin the season, and is currently averaging 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists through his team's first four games.
Maxey and Embiid have the opportunity to develop into a devastating one-two punch for the Sixers starting lineup.
Tim Legler believes James Harden's trade helps the Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers didn't get the star return they wanted for James Harden. Instead, they had to make do with role players and future draft picks. However, Harden's departure could be an addition-by-subtraction scenario for the Sixers.
Suddenly, there are no negative distractions for the franchise, and they can focus on playing high-level basketball. According to ESPN analyst Tim Legler, the deal sending Harden to the LA Clippers has lifted a dark cloud from over the Sixers.
"This entire thing is so much less about the Clippers, this is all about Philly in my mind... [The Sixers] got better... this is the 3rd best team in the Eastern Conference... The black cloud has been lifted," Tim Legler told Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe on Tuesday, via Clutchpoints.
The Sixers' decision to move on from Harden will give Nick Nurse clarity on his roster while also giving him some additional role players to feature within his rotations.
There may be some experimenting in the coming weeks as the Sixers' head coach figures out his best combinations. However, there won't be any more negative press distracting his players, and that in itself is a win for the franchise. Especially if it allows them to keep Joel Embiid happy.