76ers' Joel Embiid still hampered by hand injury suffered over 10 months ago

Embiid says the hand he banged up early in Friday's game has been an ongoing issue since spraining it last year

The Philadelphia 76ers have been the talk of the NBA since they acquired Jimmy Butler in a trade earlier this week.

However, one of the team's most important players is a tad banged up. Following Philadelphia's 113-107 win over the Utah Jazz on Friday, center Joel Embiid revealed that his right hand was bothering him early on in the game.

Joel Embiid hurt his hand early in tonight’s game, says it’s pretty swollen. Interestingly, he says it’s been on and off since spraining it in Phoenix last year. That’s a long time.

When asked about his status tomorrow, he simply says “I’m playing.”

— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) November 17, 2018

Embiid says his hand even swelled up, but it won't keep him from playing on Saturday, as he predicted, as Brett Brown only listed Wilson Chandler as a player who would be under any sort of minutes restriction when asked about the health of his team prior to their matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. 

The opinionated center also revealed that he sprained his hand against the Phoenix Suns last season -- over 10 months ago -- and he still feels pain from time to time, according to Rich Hofmann of The Athletic.

Embiid finished the game with 23 points, including hitting a pair of free throws in the final seconds to lead the Sixers to victory despite a swollen hand. Embiid also scored seven points in the final 2:52 of Friday's game and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Health has always been the one thing that's held Embiid back during his first few seasons in the NBA. Embiid has dealt with foot and knee injuries that cut into his time on the floor during his first two professional seasons, but the All-Star did play in 63 regular-season games during the 2017-18 campaign.

Embiid is currently in the midst of having a career year for the Sixers. The former third overall pick is averaging 27.4 points, which only trails Stephen Curry and LeBron James. Embiid also has grabbed 13 rebounds per contest, which is good for sixth in the NBA. The Philadelphia center has also recorded a double-double in all but two games this season.