It looks like the very beginnings of the Sixers making an effort to sit Joel Embiid and perhaps other injured athletes for the rest of the season are being watched.
After Joel Embiid’s discomfort against Brooklyn reported swelling in his left knee postgame, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Embiid and the 76ers are currently consulting with doctors and seeking alternative options regarding his knee injury.
He will undergo imaging and tests on the same knee that was operated on over a year back and is now again troubling him. The team is bringing in specialists to look into what can be done, although it is widely believed that surgery may not be indicated.
This year, Embiid has been under the MVP radar for reasons contrary to earlier reckons; however, in recent times, his game has taken a dip. A poor start against Brooklyn saw him making only one out of five shots, with endless shots made at him by Nic Claxton, the center of the Nets.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been managing Joel Embiid’s health closely, including holding him out of games for left knee management. Coach Nick Nurse held Embiid out of the fourth quarter, going with Guerschon Yabusele instead, who really started cooking down the stretch for the 76ers. Claxton’s buzzer-beater putback gave Brooklyn the win. Embiid finished the night with 14 points on 4 for 13 shooting 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
It is time for Philadelphia to consider Embiid going into a secret chamber along with whoever else is injured, maybe for the next two months (Paul George and Kyle Lowry play by acknowledgment through pain). The 76ers must think about the future rather than clutching onto this one.
As it stands, the 76ers sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games behind the Bulls for the No. 10 seed and last play-in spot. Even if they were to get the ninth or tenth seed, many hardcore 76ers’ fans find it hard even to imagine a deep playoff run.
