Embiid seeking more face time than only what phone provides

PHILADELPHIA » Joel Embiid broke his face six days ago. Between a surgical procedure and related rest and rehabilitation, Embiid hasn’t been around the team.

That’s not to say no one has seen him.

“It’s the beauty of FaceTime where we can talk,” plugged-in Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

With one breath, Brown spoke with optimism about Embiid’s post-surgical status. (How’s Embiid look? “Not too bad,” said Brown.) In the next, Brown discussed the other essential realities of his job— pick-and-rolls, playoff rotations, and everything in between.

Life is coming at Brown pretty fast, with the fifth-year coach needing to juggle the demands of directing a team headed to the postseason for the first time in six years, and tempering expectations about when and where his cornerstone center will return to the court. The latter, for what it’s worth, remains unclear.

Before Tuesday’s game against visiting Brooklyn, Brown said it’s “not so far away” that Embiid could pass through the NBA’s concussion protocol, attempt free throws, and engage in light cardio workouts.

“We don’t know when that is. That will sort of be the next stage,” Brown said. “Those types of things let him feel more engaged. He hasn’t yet been around the team since the injury, but we all communicate extensively with FaceTime.”

Brown has a much-clearer idea about his playoff rotations. In particular, he mentioned the potential courttime casualties. The more court time Brown affords Markelle Fultz, for example, the less time he can allot for T.J. McConnell.

“It’s hard,” Brown said, of his rotational carousel. “But it’s part of the growth of the program.”

Brown added that Richaun Holmes and Justin Anderson, among others, could experience a pinch in playing time.

“In all my years doing this, in this league, rarely do you see rotations grow as the playoffs became closer. At times, they shrink and they could with us.”

Dario Saric will be sidelined until at least Friday, Brown said.

Saric sat out a second consecutive game with an infection in his right elbow. Brown said Saric will miss Wednesday’s trip to Detroit and the Sixers expect he will return for Friday’s visit from Cleveland, a game that will carry significant implications for Eastern Conference playoff seeding.

Earlier in the day, the team unveiled a sculpture outside its Camden practice facility in the likeness of Julius Erving. The Naismith Hall of Famer spent all 11 of his NBA seasons with the Sixers, from 1976-87, leading them to the 1982-83 championship. The Sixers retired Erving’s No. 6 jersey in 1988.

The sculpture is the sixth installed on what is called “76ers Legends Walk,” with Erving being part of the Tuesday ceremony.

With a nod to his statue he said, “...this is classic, right here.” ... Another familiar face was at the Sixers game, as it was worked by NBA referee Ed Malloy, a Cardinal O’Hara alum.