76ers star Joel Embiid dealing with troublesome knee injury

The Philadelphia 76ers have lost four of their last five games and the cavalry may not be coming back any time soon.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN appeared this week on “The Woj Pod” and shared some troubling info about the knee injury that 76ers star center Joel Embiid is currently rehabbing.

“That knee injury is the same one he had during the playoffs last year,” said Shelburne of Embiid. “And during the playoffs, he had to go [play]. [But] this is the kind of knee injury that is normally a four-to-six week injury.”

Reigning league MVP Embiid has now missed Philly’s last two games with what the team has described as swelling and inflammation in his left knee. Indeed, he was also plagued by a knee injury last playoffs that caused him to miss Game 4 of the team's first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets and Game 1 of the team's second-round series against the Boston Celtics before returning to action. That injury was diagnosed at the time as an LCL sprain (albeit to his right knee).

Embiid, 29, has a long history of lower-body injuries and also has to carry a lot of weight on those knees at seven feet and 280 pounds. With nearly 50 games still remaining in the regular season, the 23-13 76ers would be smart to hold Embiid out until he is fully recovered (though that could cost Embiid in a notable way).