PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid’s troubles continue as his left knee injury sidelines him once more, leaving the Philadelphia 76ers’ star center’s future uncertain as the team navigates the season. Embiid underwent examinations on Monday, with further assessments scheduled, leading to his absence in the game against Chicago. This season marks Embiid’s 38th game away from the court, with solutions ranging from rest and surgery to playing with discomfort, contingent upon test results.
Questions loom over Philadelphia regarding whether the seven-time All-Star has already seen his last game this season. Despite the uncertainty, 76ers coach Nick Nurse remains hopeful. “Not at that point, at all,” Nurse assured. “We are playing and testing and trying to figure it out and go from there.” Embiid has participated in just 19 out of the Sixers’ 57 games, with the team sitting at 20-36 as of Monday, clinging to a slender chance of making it to the NBA play-in tournament. Although Embiid has averaged 23.8 points, a decline from his previous 30-point average and consecutive scoring titles, his recent performance was underwhelming.
The latest game saw Embiid on the bench throughout the fourth quarter during a tight 105-102 defeat to Brooklyn. Despite playing for 31 minutes, he recorded just 14 points and missed all six 3-point tries, as the Sixers pulled ahead only to lose at the buzzer. Since his MVP accolade in the 2022-23 season, Embiid has participated in 58 regular-season and seven play-in or playoff games.
Last season, he was restricted to 39 games following a torn meniscus which required surgery. Returning in April, he joined the playoff effort and earned an Olympic gold medal with the USA. However, limited recovery time post-surgery took its toll, a fact Embiid acknowledged earlier this month.
Yet Embiid isn’t the sole All-Star grappling with form and fitness. Paul George, too, has struggled to replicate his offensive prowess in his first year of a four-year, $212 million contract, dealing with injuries and performance dips. Since January 24, he hasn’t topped 17 points in a game, with several single-digit scores during that period.
George empathized with Embiid’s battles, offering counsel, while revealing his own reliance on medications to manage numerous injuries, such as left pinky tendon damage. Despite these challenges, the Sixers’ postseason hopes diminish as time wanes.
George lamented the consistency required at this stage of the season. “We’re still having the same conversations. Here we are, just about 60 games in,” George voiced. “It’s unacceptable. The amount of layups, uncontested at times, that we give up, it’s just unacceptable. It just comes down to what we want to do. Do we want to leave everything on the floor and play as hard as we can and see where that gets us? I’m all for it. But we’ve got to come together and we’ve got to play hard.”
Currently, the combination of Embiid, George, and 2024 All-Star Tyrese Maxey starting has yielded a 7-8 record, with the team enduring seven consecutive defeats going into Monday. Additionally, their first-round draft pick being top-six protected or else transferring to the Oklahoma City Thunder further complicates their strategies for the season’s remainder, possibly leading to decisions on resting key players like Embiid and George in anticipation of future benefits.
Nurse spoke on the constant challenges faced this season. “It’s all been challenging,” he noted. “The sheer number of guys that have been out and in and out and not playing, then him playing at less than his best, all those things have been a challenge. Just try and figure it out night by night and take it as it comes.”
