76ers’ Joel Embiid will undergo surgery after the NBA season ends
There was initial hope that the injury was not too serious, but an MRI has now confirmed that the 76ers’ star will require surgery on his thumb.
The Sixers’ MVP finalist is determined to play through the pain, but could that make things worse when the time to go under the knife comes?
Joel Embiid will have surgery on his thumb postseason
Following the results of an MRI on Sunday, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers confirmed that star center Joel Embiid has a torn ligament in his right thumb. What does that mean? Embiid will require corrective surgery to repair the damage, however, it seems that will have to wait until after the conclusion of the season. Indeed, the Sixers big man has made it absolutely clear that he intends to be a part of their play off run. With Philly currently leading the Toronto Raptors 3-1 in their series, is surely going to continue somewhat longer.
“I want to play,” Embiid said after Saturday’s frustrating loss in Game 4. “I would imagine that I keep playing and probably do something after the season. ...It’s the playoffs. Nothing is gonna stop me. So I just got to keep going, and hope for the best.”
How is Joel Embiid’s thumb?
Watching Embiid since he sustained the injury in Game 3 against the Raptors, one could be forgiven for wondering why he is playing and more over why he is being allowed to play. The center has been seen constantly holding his thumb while in visible discomfort. In Game 4 the thumb could be seen wrapped in medical, but it was clear for all to see that it was still very much a problem for him. Though he put a credible 21 points on the board, the reality is this is Joel Embiid we are talking about. with 7 of 16 shooting and five turnovers it was no surprise when he admitted post game the injury was in fact hindering his game.
“I’d say it was more [bothersome] when it comes to rebounding, at the free throw line and passing,” Embiid said. “I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s whatever. The bigger story is that we lost the game, we weren’t able to close it out. And we got to do a better job.”
Is there an up-side for Joel Embiid and the 76ers?
When asked about his player’s injury on Saturday, head coach Doc Rivers said that it couldn’t get any worse than it is. Assuming that is in fact the case then it really does just come down to Embiid’s ability to play through the pain he’s obviously feeling. Indeed, that will more than likely become the prime focus for the Sixer’s medical staff, the aleviation of their center’s pain. With the 76ers on the verge of going through to the next round, one can imagine that neither the franchise or their star player will be in a hurry to have him sit down as they hope to win a championship this year. For the moment all they can do is keep going.