Joel Embiid to Undergo Surgery for Torn Meniscus

After the Philadelphia 76ers shut down Joel Embiid for the remainder of the season, they announced Embiid is undergoing knee surgery to repair his torn meniscus.

Surprise, surprise, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has suffered another setback. Or perhaps, the information is finally coming to light.

ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported the story that Embiid was “very likely” to undergo surgery and the team later confirmed.

The news shouldn’t come as a surprise as Embiid spent the past few weeks visiting with knee specialists in California to explore treatment options.

Wait And See

The Philadelphia 76ers are waiting until the operation is complete to set a timetable for Embiid’s return. A minor repair could result in a six-to-eight week rehab period while a more significant repair could result in a three-to-eight month rehab period. With Embiid’s luck, brace for an eight month period. (Knock on wood.)

The announcement comes on the exact year to the date of fellow Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor’s meniscus surgery. Okafor was on track for a six-to-eight week recovery period.  That stretched to almost seven months and is still a question mark today.  Even now, as the next season winds down, the 76ers routinely sit Okafor due to “knee soreness.” The former minor repair has remained  a health concern for an entire year.

With Okafor’s prolonged recovery still fresh on our minds, It’s impossible to approach Embiid’s forthcoming surgery without some worry and skepticism.

The organization’s continued mishandling of the situation has incensed fans and sports writers alike. Whether it was the failure to disclose Embiid’s meniscus tear originally, or the questionable decision to allow Embiid to play against the Rockets on national television.  Perhaps even the continued persistence that Embiid’s bone bruise was what was keeping him out for weeks only to reveal, just kidding, it was in fact his meniscus tear. You get the point.

It’s insanity.

Trust Is Earned

I want to trust our front office that they haven’t been withholding information from us but at this point, I’m not sure that I can.

What did you know Bryan Colangelo? And when did you know it?

On one hand, perhaps Colangelo was afraid of the fan reaction to another “serious” Embiid injury. On the other hand, perhaps he tried to limit the flow of information in hopes Embiid would return sooner than later.

And then again, perhaps I’m just sad and trying to cope.

Injuries can be murky. It’s entirely possible that Colangelo told us all he knew (within reason) and Embiid’s situation just never healed as intended. That happens all the time with injuries, both in and outside the sports world. I know it’s not what most fans want to hear but there is a definite likelihood that this was the case.

But, if Colangelo did know more, I don’t think I’m alone in saying I’d prefer to hear the bad news rather than hearing nothing at all.

Next: Rookie of the Year Ladder

Through all of the turmoil, Embiid seems to be in good spirits. He was recently featured in a Jolly Rancher commercial poking fun at his injury history. The hope is that he’ll return at the start of next season. At this point, we just have to trust that it’ll work out.