76ers’ Veteran Remains on Injury Report vs. Hornets on Friday

Heading into Friday night’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, the Philadelphia 76ers have an injury report filled with multiple notable players.

By now, it’s evident that Joel Embiid, Robert Covington, and De’Anthony Melton will miss Friday’s outing against the Hornets. As for the veteran forward KJ Martin, he remains unsure of his playing status at the moment.

Lately, Martin’s been dealing with a right ankle impingement. Over the last two games, he’s been downgraded to questionable leading up to the matchups.

For the two outings against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, Martin went from questionable to out. Going into the Charlotte matchup, he’s questionable for the third straight game.

This season, Martin has had an inconsistent role with the Sixers. After beginning the year as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, Martin was included in the James Harden blockbuster trade. 

Martin made his debut with the Sixers on November 2. At the time, he checked in for under two minutes to get his feet wet in garbage time as the Sixers cruised past the Toronto Raptors with a 15-point win.

Throughout his first couple of months on the Sixers, Martin had an inconsistent role with the team. In the 18 games he appeared in from November to January, Martin averaged just five minutes on the court.

With injuries and trades shaking up the lineup lately, Martin has seen an increase in playing time. After collecting a five-minute shift on February 1 against the Utah Jazz, Martin has averaged 21 minutes on the court in the last nine games.

With more playing time, Martin has improved his production to eight points and five rebounds per game. He’s knocked down 63 percent of his shots and 44 percent of his threes lately. 

The Sixers and the Hornets are set to tip-off at 7 PM ET. Martin’s likely to be a game-time decision for the matchup.