Wounded Along The Way
As the season advanced through preseason into season into the new year, players began to fall off due to injuries. It was a wash/rinse/repeat process.
Ben Simmons (Foot, September 30, 2016),
Nerlens Noel (Knee, October 16, 2016),
Jerryd Bayless (Wrist, November 16, 2016),
Joel Embiid (Knee, January 27, 2017),
Jahlil Okaofr (Knee, March 24, 2017),
Sergio Rodriguez (Hamstring, March 27, 2017)
Robert Covington (Knee, March 28, 2017)
You Hurt A Knee, and You Hurt A Knee and Everyone Hurt A Knee
Is it sheer coincidence that three players were shut down due to knee injuries within four days of one another? Perhaps, but that is a much longer discussion to be held in the near future.
The problem was the process of baiting fans into false hopes of injured players returning to the lineup. Do you recall the fervor over Ben Simmons return near the end of January 2017? How about the minor injury to Joel Embiid?
Major Minor
Bryan Colangelo: Joel Embiid has 'very minor meniscal tear' in left knee, unlikely to play before All-Star break. https://t.co/EjhtMosCF8
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) February 12, 2017
And not to leave out Jahlil Okafor, whose knee issues seemed to magnify as the season wore on. Ultimately, he scheduled minor knee surgery as well.
Jahlil Okafor will undergo a minor arthroscopic procedure in his right knee. He should resume full basketball activities in approx 6 weeks.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) March 11, 2016
So in the words of a famous line from the cinema, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE..