The Philadelphia 76ers will be down two starters once again on Wednesday night. According to the team’s injury report against the Orlando Magic, the Sixers will roll without the six-time All-Star center Joel Embiid and the veteran forward Nic Batum. Lately, Batum’s been frequently inactive. When he missed Monday night’s matchup against the Miami Heat, Batum missed his third-straight matchup. With Wednesday’s game guaranteed to be his fourth absence in a row, Batum is on pace to miss the most consecutive games on a personal note this season.
Prior to getting traded to the 76ers, Batum appeared in three games for the Los Angeles Clippers. He totaled roughly 53 minutes off the bench across three games. On Halloween, he was traded to the Sixers in the blockbuster deal that involved James Harden. Batum’s Sixers debut was delayed a few games as he dealt with personal matters. On November 6, he checked in for 17 minutes off the bench.
He remained in a reserve role for his first three games of his Sixers run, but entered the starting lineup on November 12. In his first start with the Sixers, Batum scored nine points, seven rebounds, one steal, and three blocks in 33 minutes of action. Over the following three games, he sat out due to personal reasons. When Batum returned, he was thrown into the starting lineup and maintained that role moving forward.
