After a several-week hiatus, The Process is making his return. Joel Embiid is expected to play on Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Shams Charania. Joel missed the last nine games with a bone bruise in his right knee suffered against the Washington Wizards. Philly has been without Embiid for 17 of their 48 games this season.

In the three weeks that Embiid has missed, the Sixers have gone 6-3 and play the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight before Joel’s return. Without Embiid, the Sixers nearly beat the Milwaukee Bucks, taking them to overtime before losing in the closing seconds. The Sixers have missed Joel even more following the trade deadline after moving Tony Bradley and Vincent Poirier.

Hopefully, Joel can return without skipping a beat and get back on track with his 2021 MVP campaign. Currently, the Sixers are second in the Eastern Conference and are priming themselves for a title push. In the coming weeks, the Sixers will be facing the likes of the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, among several others.

Mandatory Credit: Nick Wass/Associated Press