The Philadelphia 76ers spent the first half of the 2023-24 NBA season looking like they’d be competing for a championship. After repeated playoff disappointments, their star center Joel Embiid appeared to be locked in and ready to finally get over the postseason hump, and he was playing at a level that had him as the overall favorite to win the league’s MVP award.
And while injuries and knee issues have always been a problem for the center from Cameroon, they’ve seriously affected Embiid’s current campaign.
NBA: 76ers Have Struggled Without Embiid This Year
BREAKING: 76ers star Joel Embiid — the reigning MVP — will undergo a procedure this week to repair a left meniscus injury, a team official tells ESPN. A recovery timeline is expected after procedure, but expectation is that he will miss an extended period of time. pic.twitter.com/9c3ZqM7iT2
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 5, 2024
He played in 25 of the team’s first 28 games, and became borderline dominant in December. During a two-week stretch just before the holidays, Embiid scored 34+ in eight straight games, including two 50+ point games and three more 40+ point efforts. His odds for winning MVP shrunk, and his status as the favorite became even more solidified.
Then, the knee issues returned. Beginning on Christmas and running through January 12th, Embiid missed 7 of 9 games and the 76ers began to slip a bit in the standings. 6 games after returning, the knee flared up ahead of a game in Denver, and he was forced to sit out for the 11th time this year.
An issue that came to the forefront last week regarding time missed by players around the NBA is one regarding the 65 game requirement. In order to combat load management, the league has mandated that players participate in 65 of the 82 regular season games to be eligible for postseason awards like MVP or All-Pro honors.
Damage To The Knee Will Need Time To Repair
76ers “hope” Embiid misses one to two months, per @ShamsCharania
Recovery will be “significantly longer” if a full repair is needed pic.twitter.com/pN2CcQKd8M
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 5, 2024
With Embiid on the fast track to the league’s MVP hardware, it was in his best interest to return to action as soon as possible. He could only miss 17 games on the year and still remain eligible, and the clock was ticking. He had just 5 games to spare and nearly half a season to go.
So when he forced his hand and played in front of a national audience against the Warriors last week, it was apparent that he wasn’t right. He struggled through the contest, and eventually was ruled out for future games due to the damage he took to the knee. He is set to have surgery on it this week, and his timetable for a return is unknown.
Unforuntaley for the 76ers, they have a current mark of 4-10 this season when Embiid doesn’t play. The change is obvious when he is off of the floor, and they could be in for a fall down the standings. It has already started happening, in fact, as both the Cavaliers and Knicks have past them in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and Philly is currently sitting in 7th place after going 5-5 in their last 10.
They will be at home for their contest against Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. The star guard for the Mavs has been playing lights out lately, and they are currently listed as 1.5-point favorites over the Embiid-less 76ers.
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