LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 13: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks in front of Justin Anderson #1 during a 109-105 win over the LA Clippers at Staples Center on November 13, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Image: Getty)
The Philadelphia 76ers entered this season with postseason hopes, having been first-round exits in 2024. They got stronger over the offseason on paper, re-signing All-Star Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr., as well as adding first-round pick Jared McCain through the draft – all, of course, built around 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
Maxey is having a stellar season, sitting fifth in the NBA with 27.4 points per game. But that’s a position he’s been forced to step into, as it begins to look increasingly like neither McCain nor Embiid will play more than 25 games for the Sixers this season.
McCain was a bright spot in Philadelphia’s opening stretch – before injury forced him into season-ending left knee surgery just 23 games in. A lateral meniscus injury Embiid sustained in February 2024 has sidelined him for extended periods in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons already. He played 36 games last year, and has played just 19 of 56 this year, dealing with a foot sprain on top of the injured knee.
Now, as the 76ers have dropped to 20-36 on the season, Embiid is reportedly “considering alternative options, such as surgery,” for his knee.
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Embiid has evidently been constrained by his injury this season, even while playing. He’s averaging 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, well below his career averages of 27.7 and 11.0, and has the worst field goal percentage of his career.
76ers coach Nick Nurse said as much following the team’s Saturday night loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
“He’s giving us what he can,” Nurse told reporters. “He’s not himself; we all know that. He’s not, certainly, the guy that we’re used to seeing play at a super-high level. But I commend him for giving us what he can.”
With championship hopes definitively buried for the time being, and Embiid’s injury continuing to impede his play, shutting him down may be the smartest move for the franchise. It’s in the 76ers’ interest to have Embiid, who turns 31 next month, stay healthy for the long-term. And every night he plays on his injured knee shortens his potential time – and productivity – in the league.
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