Joel Embiid has surgery for orbital fracture - could return sooner than expected [ESPN]

Just when it looked like Joel Embiid might finally play a full season for the Philadelphia 76ers, he had a collision with teammate Markelle Fultz earlier this week that brought those hopes to an abrupt end.

Embiid suffered an orbital fracture in his left eye after a nasty collision with teammate Fultz on Wednesday night during the team's win against the New York Knicks. Fultz's shoulder crashed into Embiid's face early in the second quarter of the game, causing the injury.

Yesterday, the Sixers provided an update on their center's injury situation. The initial timeframe for the center's absence was two to four weeks, which would mean he could miss the first round of the playoffs. However, that no longer appears to be the case.

Philadelphia announced that Embiid had successful surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone in his left eye, and there is currently no timetable for his recovery. However, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has reported that the Sixers center could be back in action two weeks from now.

April 14 is the date two weeks away from today, which is the exact same day which the NBA Playoffs are scheduled to begin, so Embiid could be back in time for the Sixers to play in their first-round game of the postseason.

However, as we have seen by the Sixers with their handling of Fultz' injury earlier this season, the team is going to be cautious and not rush the center back to the court quicker than necessary. They'll want to make sure he is completely healthy before bringing him back.

Philadelphia could be one of the surprise teams in this season's playoffs that gives the top-seeded teams in the Eastern Conference a run for their money at whatever stage they meet in the postseason, which is why it's important for them to make sure everyone on the court is fit and healthy.

They'll certainly be advancing to the second round of the playoffs no matter who they play against, and they could go even further than that if they have a full-strength roster on the court throughout the postseason.

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