Ripple effects | Sports Daily Newsletter
Why was Embiid playing Tuesday night?
Anyone who watched Joel Embiid limp up and down the court on Tuesday night knew he wasn’t in any condition to play.
But, nevertheless, there he was. And it got worse.
Late in the fourth quarter, Embiid got tangled with the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga, who landed on the star big man’s knee. Embiid, the reigning MVP, didn’t return.
It’s early to assign blame, but ...
The NBA opened an investigation into Embiid sitting out a game against the Nuggets over the weekend. The league’s policies surrounding load management have been a hot topic this season. Maybe it’s time to look into those, David Murphy writes.
— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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❓How do you expect the Sixers to respond in the wake of Embiid’s latest setback? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.
Carter Hart won’t be playing for the Flyers anytime soon, as he prepares to surrender to London, Ontario, police and face a charge of sexual assault in connection to an alleged incident in 2018.
But while Hart’s career with the Flyers, and in the NHL overall, is uncertain, columnist Marcus Hayes believes that the Flyers should take a stand now and never allow the goaltender to wear the Orange and Black again.
Hart’s future isn’t the only decision rookie general manager Danny Brière will have to make in the coming months. Ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, Jackie Spiegel looks at which players could be on the move.
Next: The Flyers return from the All-Star break Tuesday when they visit the Florida Panthers (7 p.m. NBCSP).
Joel Embiid clearly stayed in the game too long. After facing criticism for sitting out in Denver, he decided to push himself and play against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. The night didn’t turn out as he expected, with the big man badly limping around the court and ultimately suffering a painful injury when Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga landed on his left knee.
Embiid’s health has to be the Sixers’ priority. Let’s face it, the Sixers won’t go far in the postseason unless he’s playing at a high level. It doesn’t matter if they’re the Eastern Conference’s first, second, or third seed, they’re not getting out of the second round with him at 60%, writes Keith Pompey.
Next: The West Coast swing continues with a trip to the Utah Jazz on Thursday (10 p.m., TNT).
It was a rough final weeks of the season for the Eagles, and A.J. Brown was no exception. Amid a stretch in which he refused to speak with reporters, the Birds slid to a 1-5 finish, and, with the star receiver sidelined by a knee injury, crashed out of the playoffs in the wild-card round.
But a few weeks removed, Brown is “in a good place” mentally. He made his first comments to The Inquirer since the season ended. He discussed his injury and offered support for head coach Nick Sirianni.
As for NFL draft prospects, Devin Jackson recaps the biggest performances from Day 2 of Senior Bowl practices.
Next: The Senior Bowl is on Saturday (1 p. m., NFL Network), while the Pro Bowl games championship is Sunday (3 p.m., 6abc, ESPN).
Following a tumultuous season’s end, the Eagles confirm Nick Sirianni’s return for a fourth year. After a dismal 1-6 finish, Sirianni’s ability to address the team’s challenges will define his future. The decision sparks intrigue, given the departure of key assistants. In the latest episode of unCovering the Birds, Inquirer beat reporter Jeff McLane offers insights into the offseason dynamics and sheds light on the crucial decisions shaping the Eagles’ path forward. Listen here.
There’s so much youth and inexperience in St. Joe’s coach Billy Lange’s rotation, and how that youth continues to progress over the next six weeks will determine where this season goes.
But on Wednesday night freshman Xzayvier Brown was leading the Hawks’ youth movement as he scored a team-high 16 points in a win over George Mason.
Next: The Hawks have a short trip to La Salle on Saturday (noon, ESPNU).
Worth a look
On dek: These two girls saved their local hockey rink. Now, they’re working to improve it.
Star sibling: Penn’s freshman point guard has nine younger siblings. It prepared her for a leading role with the Quakers.
New addition: The Union signed a goalkeeper on Wednesday. Here is the lowdown on Andre Blake’s new backup.
What you’re saying about Villanova
We asked you: Do you think Villanova should make the NCAA Tournament? Why or why not? Among your responses:
As an alumnus, I am totally disappointed in this team’s performance. I have stopped watching their TV games. Sure, it’s a tough job replacing a legend but the games I saw revealed a team without a consistent identity. The starters and rotation change almost every game. No consistent scoring by any player. I only hope Coach Neptune is an excellent recruiter as I’m not sold on the future prospects for this program. — Joseph R.
They can’t make the tournament if they’re under .500 in the Big East and the overall record isn’t much above .500. Kyle Neptune gets one more year to get it right (or Wright, no pun intended); if he doesn’t, time to move on. — Richard V.
The way they are playing they are out unless they get to the Big East finals. — Bill M.
It depends on the " mediocrity level” of the rest of the pack and of course power ranking at seasons end. Having said, they need at least 8 more wins to even be in the conversation, unless they win the Big East tourney.
The team has underperformed this year. Not having a good enough rim stopper or point guard leader has resulted in many close losses. Justin Moore is not having the season we anticipated and the beyond arc shooting (typical Nova teams) has been one of lowest in team recent history, and ranked 278 or worse. That’s not going to get it done in the Big East.
While the raw transfer talent ... Bamba, Ware, Hart and Burton had been a noticeable positive, they have simply taken way too long to play well as a team. Lacking an identity.
As for Coach Neptune, I have given him benefit of the doubt for most of the season until now. There’s little movement away from the ball and no inside game presence. Dixon has regressed a bit from last year having his back to the ball and feat too wide apart to post anybody up and all too often he is shooting threes or turning the ball over with kickout passes. This has resulted in an almost .500 W/L record with some 10 games left, with a few signature wins, and close losses against 2 top Big East contenders. UConn and Marquette. Losses to St. John’s and Butler prove that they can’t win the games they should win. Therefore they are simply a mediocre team once again.
Coach ... You get the right talent rather than typical Villanova wing shooters, or create an offense that improves the assist level of the team and is a lot more ball movement creative. — Tom F.
Villanova does not deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament this year. They have beaten ranked teams like North Carolina, Memphis and Creighton, but that is more than offset by losses to Penn, St. Joe, and Drexel, as well as two disturbing blowout losses to St. John’s. I think the only tournament Villanova will see this year will be the NIT and even that might be a stretch. — Tom E.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from David Murphy, Marcus Hayes, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Olivia Reiner, Devin Jackson, Jonathan Tannenwald, Jeff Neiburg, Lochlahn March, and Matthew Frank.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for reading along! Jim will be back tomorrow with the final Sports Daily of the week! — Maria