Joel Embiid‘s long-term future in the NBA is becoming a growing concern. The Philadelphia 76ers star is currently recovering from his second meniscus surgery in the last 18 months. The Sixers will likely start the new season without their former MVP.
According to an anonymous member of an NBA team’s medical staff, who spoke with NBA Insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, there is growing concern regarding Embiid’s ability to get back to the level of player he once was.
“When you have a second surgery to attempt and fix the initial problem, and then you continue to deal with delays and more complications, that’s never a good sign,” The medical team member said. “Few players have been able to come back from multiple surgeries and injuries to the same part of their body, which is what Joel is trying to achieve.”
The medical team member continued.
“For him specifically, his injury history and knee issues go back to when he first entered the league. To even play at the level he has to this point is remarkable. Of course, everyone wants to see him back and 100 percent healthy, as the league is better with all of its stars on the court. The reality here is that the damage has been done, and none of us can get word on if it’s actually repairable.”
Embiid has struggled with knee issues for the past two or three years. He’s also dealt with lingering back problems, and has never been able to get his conditioning right. The hope that he can bounce back and spearhead a championship push is likely wishful thinking at this point.
Embiid May Consider Retirement
When speaking via Sirius XM NBA Dash Radio on Sunday, July 27, Sixers beat writer Keith Pompey speculated that Embiid’s career could be drawing to a close.
“I think Joel may know that the end is near, and this is just me saying, and it’s kind of like explaining to people what he’s been going through,” Pompey said. “Because rarely do you have a guy tell you how much pain (they’re in) and how much they’re going through.”
Pompey continued.
“The thing I took from it was no matter who is there, the culture is the same. And I feel like Joel Embiid knows that it may not be this season, but the end is near. Maybe he feels as though he can’t play to the level he used to. I could be wrong. He could come out and have another MVP season. But that was my takeaway.”
Embiid may still bounce back from his latest injury struggles. He wouldn’t be the first player to rediscover his best form after multiple years of issues. However, given his injury history and how reliant he is on his footwork and movement, Embiid may need to accept that his career is drawing to a close. And that means, he may retire without a championship on his resume.
Sixers And Embiid Need Each Other
Speaking on a July 17 episode of ESPN’s NBA Today, NBA insider Bobby Marks explained why the Sixers and Embiid need each other to be successful, and why the pressure continues to mount.
“This partnership between Philadelphia and Joel Embiid, there’s no turning back,” Marks said. “They’ve got to make this work, certainly from the Embiid health perspective…The last year of that contract is $69 million, that is the danger zone of contracts. So for both sides, they got to make it work here, for better or worse.”
Before the Sixers and Embiid can even begin dreaming of success, they must first get him back on the court. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, there doesn’t appear to be a timeline in place for his return to basketball activities. As such, the Sixers may be forced to navigate the opening months of the season without their superstar big man. Fortunately, that’s something Nick Nurse’s team has become accustomed to in recent years.
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