Joel Embiid is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The Sixers‘ superstar big man underwent the procedure in April, making it the second operation on the troublesome meniscus injury in the past 12 months.
The hope was that by having the surgery early, Embiid would be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season. However, according to a report from The Athletic’s Tony Jones, Embiid is yet to begin on-court basketball activities.
“It’s been almost a year and a half since the knee injury he suffered at Golden State derailed him for most of the 2024-25 season, and Morey says Embiid is ‘on track’ to be healthy for training camp, the start of the preseason and the start of the regular season,” Jones wrote. “League sources tell The Athletic that Embiid still hasn’t returned to on-court basketball activities. That said, Morey and the front office remain optimistic that Embiid will be on the floor for the season opener.”
Embiid has struggled with injuries for the past two seasons. He played in just 39 games during the 23-24 campaign, and then 19 last season. Without the former MVP in the rotation, the Sixers cannot be expected to challenge for a championship. Therefore, the fanbase and coaching staff will undoubtedly be hoping his recovery picks up speed in the coming weeks and months.
Sixers’ Embiid Will Need Time
Getting back on the court is only the first hurdle Embiid must face. Once he’s cleared to begin on-court activities, he must begin ramping up his conditioning and eventually start playing against contact and in live situations.
Embiid won’t be anywhere near his best for multiple months, and will likely need his minutes managed to begin next season. Of course, the Sixers must avoid the urge to rush him back, as that could risk a re-aggravation of his injury, thus starting the cycle all over again.
Nevertheless, Embiid must start showing some positive signs of recovery. The whole point of shutting him down early was to ensure he could recoup over the summer and be ready for the new season.
Sixers and Embiid Reportedly Clashed Over Injury
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, both Embiid and the Sixers’ front office clashed during the season, due to differing ideas on how to handle his injury and recovery.
“There was some tension there between Joel Embiid and that front office, from my understanding,” Charania said on an April 3 episode of NBA Today. “The team believed he needed to play at some points of the season, that he needed to get his conditioning right through playing and getting better that way. He felt like he needed surgery. He ends up getting the surgery.”
With Embiid’s surgery now in the books and his recovery firmly underway, Sixers fans will likely be hoping any clashes are a thing of the past. However, the need for him to get back on the court will continue to grow. Otherwise, Embiid could find himself sidelined to begin the season. Adding pressure to his body when forced to try and hit the ground running.
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