Sixers Recall Patton, Smith To Debut For Blue Coats

The Philadelphia 76ers are short-handed due to injury as they enter a big match-up against Oklahoma City on Thursday. Joel Embiid will sit out his fourth straight game due to knee tendinitis while  Boban Marjanovic is set to miss his first game after suffering a knee injury on Monday in New Orleans.

With Embiid and Boban sidelined, the Sixers are even thinner with their depth at center and have opted to call up Justin Patton from Delaware in time for Thursday's game.

Patton, 21, was acquired by the Sixers from Minnesota as part of the Jimmy Butler trade back in November. At the time, he was rehabbing from foot surgery, but has recently been playing for the Blue Coats.

In seven games with the Sixers' G-League club, Patton is posting averages of 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

There is also some promising injury news out of Sixers camp. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, 2018 first-round pick Zhaire Smith is going to make his pro debut for the Blue Coats on Friday night on the road. If all goes well, Smith would make his home debut in Wilmington on Monday, March 4.

The Sixers traded Mikal Bridges for Smith and Miami's unprotected 2021 first-round pick on draft night. Smith suffered a Jones fracture during an offseason camp and dealt with a setback caused by a bad allergic reaction to sesame.

In 37 games last season for Texas Tech, Smith averaged 11.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 45 percent from beyond the arc.