Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid has successful knee surgery but how long will he be out?
The 76ers star was already a cause for concern with knee problems. Now, after a successful operation, the team will be without him for even longer.
Much has been made about the Sixers star’s knee in recent weeks and at last it is now clear that the former MVP does in fact have a serious issue. So much so that it had to be corrected via surgery. At this point, the team finds itself in a bind as it faces a fiercely competitive Eastern Conference.
76ers’ Joel Embiid undergoes knee surgery
According to an announcement from the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, superstar Joel Embiid has undergone a surgical procedure to repair the meniscus in his left knee. “Joel Embiid had a successful procedure today to address an injury to the lateral meniscus in his left knee,” the Sixers said in a statement. “He will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks.”
To be clear, the estimated time for Embiid’s recovery was reportedly 1-2 months, a timeline that he currently appears to be on track to meet. Assuming the process goes according to plan, we could see the 29-year-old taking to the court once again in the early days of March. Of course, that’s not to say that he will be starting games, but rather resuming basketball activities with the team following a month of recovery. To that end, yes, it’s possible we will see Joel Embiid before the end of the season.
Joel Embiid has struggled with knee problems
One can’t help but feel a sense of sympathy for Embiid, especially when considering the kind of ball he has playing of late i.e., MVP level. Yet, it’s got to be said that it comes as no surprise given the history of issues that the Cameroon native has suffered with his knees in the past. Indeed, the Sixers’ big man has struggled with his knees throughout his career, all of which he has spent playing in Philadelphia. Where this most recent injury is concerned, Embiid went down during a 119-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors just a week ago on January 31st.
Eventually diagnosed with a displaced flap in the meniscus of his left knee, it was a punctuation point for a player who has reportedly been suffering from knee soreness for the majority of the season. Indeed, Embiid’s condition was brought into question most recently by the Denver Nuggets head coach, Michael Malone, who criticized the 76ers’ failure to list him on the injury report prior to a game between the two teams. The Nuggets of course are the reigning NBA champions and a team that features current MVP, Nikola Jokic, the man who dethroned Embiid. Curious questions aside, the reality is Embiid’s current situation will undoubtedly rule him out of the running for this year’s MVP. If you didn’t know the league requires a 65-game minimum from players in order to be considered for the award.
OK, so how do the 76ers cope without Joel Embiid?
That’s a good question. Right here and now, the Sixers are sitting on a 30-19 record which is good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. There are 3.5 games between them and a Play-In tournament spot with a grand total of 33 games remaining in the regular season. While it’s safe to assume that the Sixers desperately want to see the return of their most important player, one has to believe that the team understands it will need to look within, or perhaps without. This coming Thursday is the NBA’s trade deadline which is to say there is still the possibility that the team could find reinforcements. Of course, there’s been no word on whether that will be the case so as we always say, ‘Watch this space.’