The Philadelphia 76ers announced on Sunday that Joel Embiid will undergo knee surgery and be out for an extended period, and it sounds like there are two scenarios that could play out for the reigning NBA MVP.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday that doctors will not know the full severity of Embiid’s left meniscus injury until the seven-time All-Star has his procedure. The best-case scenario is that Embiid will miss one to two months. However, the recovery could take much longer if a full meniscus repair is needed.
“I’m told that the hope is that Embiid misses one to two months. That’s the best-case, minimum scenario. That would dictate a potential return late in the season,” Charania said. “Only the severity of the tear and the procedure itself will determine exactly how long he’s gonna be out. If a full repair is needed, that’s going to be a significantly longer recovery time period than just one to two months.”
Charania added that Embiid’s “season is now in jeopardy.”
Embiid played in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 119-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday and left the game with an injury. It was later revealed that Embiid had suffered a left meniscus injury. Based on the information we shared on Saturday, the news of Embiid undergoing surgery is no surprise.
The Sixers entered Monday 30-18, which places them 5th in the Eastern Conference. They obviously have championship aspirations, but they also need to protect the long-term health of their franchise cornerstone.
Embiid was in the midst of another MVP-caliber season before this latest injury. The seven-time All-Star is averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 53.3% shooting from the field through 34 games played.
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