With news that Joel Embiid has suffered appendicitis which prompted apt surgery that would sideline him for considerable time, the Philadelphia 76ers are bracing for the strong possibility that he will be missing action in the playoffs. After all, all of the reported timelines point to the superstar big man missing nearly three weeks due to the untimely, yet necessary procedure.
But of course, in typical troll fashion, Embiid's usual naysayers have once again come with their proverbial nonsense when it comes to roasting his availability (or lack thereof). The argument that the former Most Valuable Player does not show up when it matters the most for his ball club has basically been resuscitated, but this time around, it's working against their favor.
As fans and pundits like have pointed out already, Embiid's absence this time is one of those things that seemingly came out of nowhere. Sure, there might have been some telling signs about his actual situation, but no one could have foreseen him suffering appendicitis at this critical juncture of the season. If anything, the basketball gods simply don't want him to get the nice things in his NBA life.
The 76ers stand to lose Joel Embiid in the playoffs
There is no arguing that Joel Embiid has had the worst injury luck of any superstar in this league. Since 2018, he has never entered the playoffs in 100 percent playing condition, which is a huge bummer that has prevented him from sniffing real success in the postseason and falling victim to numerous early exits.
Joel Embiid has had the worst playoff injury luck:
— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) April 9, 2026
2018: Orbital fracture, concussion
2019: Illness, knee tendinitis
2020: COVID Bubble
2021: Torn meniscus
2022: Orbital fracture, torn thumb ligament
2023: Knee sprain
2024: Bell’s Palsy
2026: Appendicitis 1 week before the… pic.twitter.com/2WEqjbnatT
Embiid once said that he would trade his MVP hardware just to get one healthy playoff run, believing that he is still plenty good enough to help the 76ers get over the hump when he is playing without any restrictions on his body due to injuries. That remains an accurate depiction of what could have been for this squad, especially since Embiid has proven this season that he is still a dominant force on the scoring end despite his current limitations.
Players usually don't get appendicitis just a week before the playoffs. While that is a glib statement, it only magnifies the truth that runs counter to what Embiid's haters have been saying over the years. If anything, he is hellbent on playing as much as he can, and the reasons why he has been unable to do exactly that are totally out of his control.