Joel Embiid's health might not be manageable for 76ers

Embiid has sat out of the 76ers' last two games after his problematic left knee swelled up. He's not back at practice yet, so he'll miss at least Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets. He's played four of Philadelphia's 16 games this season as the Sixers have stumbled to a 3-13 record.

One basketball writer thinks the 76ers may be hiding an Embiid injury. The Athletic's Sam Amick theorized that since Embiid was a full participant in Team USA practices, that may well have happened after the Olympics.

Philadelphia sat Embiid out for the preseason and the season's first nine games only to see him injure the same knee their injury management plan was supposed to protect. The 76ers planned to rest Embiid and Paul George on all back-to-backs in hopes of having them healthy in the playoffs. But George has now hyperextended his knee twice, first in the preseason and then last week against the Memphis Grizzlies.

But what makes Embiid's injury more worrisome is that he hasn't re-aggravated it in any obvious way. George's injuries are discouraging, but at least the team knows the cause of each one. With Embiid, he's clearly struggling with his knee, which he now wears in a brace, and he could be out indefinitely.

Knee injuries are also notoriously complicated. Lonzo Ball missed two-and-a-half seasons after recurring knee injuries that eventually required a meniscus transplant. Steven Adams hurt his PCL in January 2023, an injury that was supposed to keep him out a month, and he missed the next season-and-a-half. Recovery is unpredictable, especially during the season.

Philadelphia's plan was a sound one for trying to prevent injuries, but it may not have started until Embiid already suffered an injury. In that case, there's only so much load management can do.