Joel Embiid to miss scrimmage with right calf tightness

Joel Embiid will not participate in Sunday’s scrimmage against the Oklahoma City Thunder at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex due to right calf tightness.

The 76ers center first experienced right calf discomfort in Friday’s scrimmage against the Memphis Grizzlies. The three-time All-Star is listed as “day-to-day” and will be reevaluated on Monday. Al Horford will start in his place.

Sixers coach Brett Brown was asked if there was a sense that Embiid would also miss Tuesday’s scrimmage against the Dallas Mavericks and Saturday’s seeding games opener against the Indiana Pacers.

“That’s one man’s opinion. I believe we are just getting out in front of stuff and being smart with it,” he responded.

Embiid only logged 12 minutes, 57 seconds — all in the first half — during Friday’s 90-83 win over the Grizzlies. Embiid finished with 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting — including going 2-for-4 on three-pointers. He also had six rebounds, two turnovers, and graded out in a plus-12.

The Cameroonian has dealt with injuries since the Sixers selected him third overall during the 2014 NBA draft.

Embiid averaged 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 blocks while playing in just 44 of the Sixers’ 65 games before the NBA shutdown in March. He has missed nine games with a torn radial collateral ligament in his right hand. He was sidelined five more games with a left shoulder sprain. Embiid was out two games because of left knee soreness, two for suspension, and one each for a right ankle/lip laceration, left hip contusion, and upper respiratory illness.

So this has to be a “Here we go again” moment, right?

“Not really,” Brown said. “It’s a second game. I feel that it’s an opportunity, truly, not coach speak, not political speak, truly, to play Al [Horford] more, to put him with some different groups.”

“I think if this would have happened three or four games into sort of what we’re calling the ‘regular season,‘ there’s always frustration, selfish frustration.”

Brown knows the frequent injuries are frustrating at times for Embiid. However, he said the team is initially trying to be smart [by resting him] and move on.