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Joel Embiid has a meniscus tear, Boston made some major changes and Luka Doncic and Trae Young put on a show. Let’s Dose!
The latest on Joel Embiid
The 76ers announced on Thursday that Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with a “small meniscus tear” in his right knee, but also said that he’s going to be day-to-day. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said that “managing potential swelling and pain on the knee will play a significant part in how soon Embiid returns to the floor,” with the 76ers planning a “physical therapy and treatment program” for their franchise player.
David Chao, one of the best in the business in terms of breaking down injuries in sports, is under the impression that this is an old injury that flared up after the fall Embiid had in Game 4. If it was a newer injury, physical therapy “would be risky and unlikely to work,” Chao said (link).
“If the swelling stays down and Embiid has full function, a case can be made for this conservative care and that he could return to play in a few days. If not, he is likely headed for surgery.” Embiid was spotted getting up shots before Game 5, and while he didn’t look like he had his full mobility, it solidified the notion that he truly is day-to-day. He always seems to get hurt at the most inopportune times, so hopefully he can stay upright for the entire postseason for once because he has reached a level that not many big men have ever seen.
Breaking news in Boston
One day after Boston were eliminated from the playoffs, Danny Ainge announced that he would be stepping down as the president of basketball operations. “I trust my instincts,” Ainge said. “My instincts told me a couple months ago that it was time for me to move on. That’s what is best for us. That’s what’s best for the Celtics.” The decision was strictly Ainge’s, and while he got some heat (some of it warranted) for the lack of success the Celtics have had in recent years, what he did previously deserves a ton of respect.
In 2007, Ainge traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett which led to a championship a year later and an all-time great team. But his biggest accomplishment was pulling off one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history with Brooklyn, trading Paul Pierce and Garnett for a haul of draft picks that included Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Of course it’s ironic that Brooklyn is the team that knocked them out this season, but shout out to Sean Marks for one of the most impressive turnarounds in recent memory.
Boston has been dominating the headlines for a second reason too, as head coach Brad Stevens will be moving to the front office full time to replace Ainge as president. Stevens had previously been involved in the decision making in the past, so it’s a role he should be comfortable in. “He was at the table here with Danny in the war room and all of our roster decisions along the way for the eight years, which has had a number of notable successes,” majority owner Wyc Grousbeck said.
Stevens’ first task will be to find his replacement as head coach, a job that will be one of the most coveted on the planet with the opportunity to coach a young core of Tatum, Brown, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams. The Celtics may be looking to make an internal hire with Jay Larranaga being a leading candidate, but other names will no doubt start to surface soon.
Anthony Davis making progress
Anthony Davis, who sat out Game 5 and watched the Lakers get absolutely crushed, told the media that his groin injury was feeling better Wednesday. He also shed a little more light on the issue, revealing that the groin injury was a result of overcompensating for a hyperextended left knee that he suffered in Game 3.
When asked about his status for Game 6, Davis said he’d leave it up the training staff. For what it’s worth, Davis attempted to warm up for Game 5 but didn’t feel good enough to play, so he’s likely shaping up to be a game-time call. But with the Lakers on life support, you would think that he’s a near lock to play even if he’s not yet close to 100 percent. Fantasy managers have become numb regarding the constant injury updates about Davis and he’s likely to be on a lot of “never again” lists next season, leading me to believe that he could actually become a nice value in the mid- to late-first round.
Trae Young leads Hawks past Knicks
Trae Young put the Knicks out of their misery on Wednesday, giving the Hawks a 4-1 series win. He dropped 36 points with nine dimes and three triples, joining Michael Jordan as the second player in NBA history to score at least 30 points in three straight games in the Garden during the playoffs.
The boo birds were out in force all series, but it’s Trae who gets the last laugh. At the end of the game, he took a bow on the logo to add insult to injury. “I know where we are. I know there are a lot of shows in this city and I know what they do when the show is over.” The Hawks will move on to face the 76ers in the second round, a matchup that may be much closer than people expect with the status of Joel Embiid still in the air.
Jazz cruise past Memphis
Despite Ja Morant’s best efforts, the Grizzlies were trounced from the playoffs, 4-1. Morant certainly made the “leap” in his first playoff appearance, averaging 30.2 points and 8.2 dimes, the highest PPG by a Grizzly in playoff history. If Jaren Jackson Jr. can shake off the rust and find the form he had before the knee injury like I’m expecting him to, that duo is going to become an absolute force in the West. And I can’t pass up one final opportunity to point out something that’s been blatantly obvious all season long — De’Anthony Melton was a +12 in a 16-point loss…
As for the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell is firing on all cylinders and led the team with 30 points, 10 assists and five triples, while Rudy Gobert topped off his incredible first-round performance with a 23/15 line with three blocks. The bad news is that Mike Conley tweaked his right hamstring, but at least he’ll have a few days for treatment around the clock. Be ready to see a lot of PG Joe Ingles if Conley is forced to miss any time. With Conley off the court this season, Ingles has a per-36 line of 16.9 points, 6.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 triples, so be ready to take advantage of that if you play fantasy playoffs.
Luka Doncic is the truth
Despite Kristaps Porzingis doing his best to throw the game, Luka Doncic overcame it to put up 42 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds, becoming the second player in NBA history to reach those numbers in a playoff game (LeBron James). The funny thing is, Luka kept saying in the post-game interview how “terrible” he played.
The dude is just absurd for a 22-year-old and may already be the best player in the NBA. It’s also worth mentioning that he was moving around much better from the jump, so hopefully the neck issue is a thing of the past. Dallas leads 3-2 with the series shifting back to L.A. for Game 6 on Friday.