Joel Embiid’s career has unfortunately been defined by injuries, and the 2023 NBA MVP will undergo yet another surgery next week to try and repair his injured left knee that limited him to 19 appearances during the 2024-25 season. The Philadelphia 76ers announced on Wednesday evening that after consulting with doctors and experts, the decision was made for Embiid to have arthroscopic surgery, with ESPN reporting he’ll be re-evaluated in six weeks after surgery.
It is the second procedure Embiid has had on that same knee in the last 14 months, as he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in 2024 after being limited to 34 games played.
The hope is that the surgery will clear up the pain and swelling that plagued the star center for the entirety of the 2024-25 season, which became a lost one for the Sixers with Embiid unable to remain in the lineup (among other injuries and issues on the roster). The Sixers have been rudderless this season, falling to 23-53 with less than two weeks remaining in the season as they’ve embraced a tank during a lost year. On Tuesday night, the Sixers set a new NBA record with their 52nd unique starting lineup of the season, evidence of their injury woes that start with their best player.
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The question going forward is whether Embiid can ever be on the court often enough to fulfill his exceptional potential. His 2022-23 season was truly remarkable and he was playing even better to start the 23-24 season before his meniscus tear. However, this season Embiid was a shell of that player even when he did get on the court, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on a career-worst 48.2 effective field goal percentage.
The hope is that after this surgery he can reclaim the burst and athleticism that made him one of the best players in the NBA, but Sixers fans are understandably skeptical of whether we’ll ever see that version of Embiid again.
