Injuries have, unfortunately, been a common theme for Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia Sixers. He missed two seasons after the Sixers drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2014 because of two foot surgeries. Since the 2016-17 season, his first, he has played 60+ games in four seasons due to injuries (his career high is 68 games). He hasn't played much the past couple of years because of his knee, and so far this season, he has played only seven games.
Embiid has been battling right knee soreness, which is why he missed several games at the start of the season. On Wednesday, the Sixers listed the center as doubtful for Thursday's game against the Warriors due to left and right knee injury recovery. Philadelphia upgraded him to questionable on Thursday morning, but it did little to ease fans' concerns.
We all knew that he wouldn't play in a back-to-back again, and that to start the season, Nick Nurse would manage his minutes. However, Embiid is missing more than back-to-backs, as he didn't play in the team's most recent game, a 121-102 win over the Wizards. That was on Tuesday, and now, there is a chance Embiid won't play two nights later. He last played on Sunday in a season-high 30 minutes.
How will the rest of the season look for Joel Embiid?
Embiid has said several times that he wants to be on the court, and he will do whatever it takes to play in even one game. He's gone through a lot in his career, especially in the past two years, with two knee procedures. It's not easy to come back from that.
How he would look this season was a question mark, and it's still hard to know what version of Embiid the Sixers will get as the season wears on. He hasn't looked like his usual self on the defensive end, and his rebounding numbers are down, as he is averaging only 5.3 per game, which would be a career low for him.
Embiid still isn't moving like he should be, which isn't all that surprising, but it's still a little alarming. We're already a quarter into the season, and where he's at right now isn't what fans wanted to see. Will this still be the case in April, when the Sixers are (hopefully) gearing up for a playoff run?
He truly can't catch a break, and it's heartbreaking to see, so imagine what it must be like for him. As much as it hurts to say, this might just be who Embiid is now, stuck in a never-ending injury cycle.