Joel Embiid sitting out the NBA All-Star Game would benefit both him and the Sixers

SALT LAKE CITY — Joel Embiid deserves a break.

The six-time All-Star center must be healthy and play at an elite level for the 76ers to make a deep postseason run. He has to know that.

That’s why Embiid has been publicly noncommittal about playing in Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game at Vivint Arena because of left foot soreness. One might assume that the possibility of his not playing in the game increased when he wasn’t on hand for Saturday’s Eastern Conference All-Star practice.

However, he’s expected to be on hand for the game, and a Sixers source believes Embiid intends to play.

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If Embiid doesn’t play, so what.

Playing Sunday night won’t help the Sixers (38-19) reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001. Playing in this game won’t shore up their defensive shortcomings nor tighten up Embiid’s two-man game with All-Star snub James Harden.

Embiid’s playing would provide fans and media another opportunity to see a head-to-head battle with Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokić, assuming they’re on different teams.

But we won’t find that out until 7:30 p.m Sunday, 30 minutes before the start of the game. That’s when the team captains, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, will draft the team rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference.

Being able to converse with his All-Star brethren and showcasing his skills in the league’s top exhibition game are two benefits for Embiid peersonally.

But he must ask himself if the risk of aggravating his injured foot and playing in pain worth it, especially with what he’s been through?

Embiid has been dealing with foot problems all season.

His workouts in the offseason and during training camp were hampered by plantar fasciitis. That led to him being out of shape at the beginning of the season. Then Embiid missed a combined eight games because of his left foot being sprained and general soreness unrelated to the plantar fasciitis. He’s also missed several other games with the flu, left knee effusion, and right knee injury recovery.

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But his left foot has bothered him the most. He played in the last 11 games before the break despite being listed as questionable with the soreness. Embiid hasn’t been healthy for a month.

“My focus is on getting healthy,” Embiid said following Wednesday’s 118-112 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “I’ve been having this lingering foot issue, according to the doctors, which needs a lot of rest, staying off my feet. So like I said, the focus is on winning, especially getting ready for the second half of the season and playoffs.

“So I’m focusing on winning a championship.”

Right now, the Sixers are third in the East, three games behind first-place Boston Celtics with 25 games left. The Sixers’ best path to reach the conference finals would be to finish with the conference’s best record.

That would enable them to possibly avoid a second-round matchup with the Celtics (42-17) and Milwaukee Bucks. The second-place Bucks (41-17) are the league’s hottest team, having won 12 straight.

The Sixers have a brutal upcoming stretch of games with Memphis Grizzlies (Thursday), the Celtics (Saturday), the Miami Heat (Feb. 27 and March 1), the Dallas Mavericks (March 2), and the Bucks (March 4). And things won’t lighten up for them throughout March.

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Embiid has to not only play, but dominate for the Sixers to keep pace with Boston and Milwaukee in the standings. He’ll have to stay healthy and continue that domination in the postseason.

“But I feel like I reached a point where I really need to follow the doctor’s advice and miss [some time],” he said Wednesday following the Sixers’ final game heading into the break.

That time might as well include Sunday’s All-Star Game.