Joel Embiid has long struggled with knee injuries. According to Lisa Salters, he believes that his latest struggles with his knee can only be fixed if he gets another surgery on it and has a long time to recover and rehab, thus effectively ruling him out for a massive amount of time. Embiid did not clarify whether he plans on ending his season for this surgery anytime soon.
Embiid has played just 16 of the 76ers’ 42 games this season. And given that the franchise have just a 20-32 record and don’t look like they’ll make any noise in the playoffs even if they reach the postseason stage through some miracle. So perhaps it might be best for Embiid to shut down for the season so he can have eight or more months to get surgery and recover ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
This season, Embiid hasn’t played that well, averaging 24.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field, 34.4% from beyond the arc, and 87.9% from the free-throw line. One could argue that his injury issues are affecting his performances on the court and causing him to play at a diminished level.
The 76ers are 11th in the Eastern Conference, and could reach the playoffs through the play-in. But given how Embiid, along with the rest of the team, are performing, it is hard to see them making any major noise in the postseason. As such, it would behoove Nick Nurse, Daryl Morey, and the rest of the 76ers higher ups to shut down Embiid for the season and carry on without him.
Embiid’s Frustration Starting To Show
Joel Embiid has had a difficult career in the NBA so far, having missed over 400 games in his career due to injury or injury management. While he is a superstar-level player when he is on the court, his appearances on the court have been few and far between.
Things have started to get to Embiid himself, who recently got into a heated sideline altercation with his teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. during a timeout. The 76ers have had a wretched season this year, and the last thing they need right now is an issue in the locker room among their star players. Earlier this season, Tyrese Maxey had to hold Joel Embiid accountable during a team meeting.
It was reported that the 76ers would confront Embiid for his lack of availability. However, it appears that he hasn’t received any word from their side. Now would be the time to intervene, help him get right, and then focus on making sure that he is healthy, available, and has no reason to miss games come next season.
Embiid’s unavailability hasn’t just held him back, but has held back the 76ers from competing at a high level both in the regular season and during the playoffs. Things must change soon if they want their franchise to thrive.
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