Joel Embiid Injury: Sixers Lose Star Big Man Again to Knee Swelling

After an on-court workout Thursday, Joel Embiid suffered more swelling in his left knee and will miss at least 7-10 days. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ season goes from bad to worse as the superstar big man has played in just 13 games this year.

In those 13 games, Embiid is averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a block per game. He is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 32.7 percent beyond the arc.

Sixers Season Falling Apart

Philadelphia is 8-18 without Embiid this season. It is looking increasingly likely the Sixers will struggle to make the playoffs, sitting at 15-24 after losing four straight and seven of their last nine.

Their upcoming stretch is difficult, with a three-game road trip to face the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets, followed by a home clash with the East-best Cleveland Cavaliers.

It’s worth considering Embiid would have missed time during this stretch anyway. The Sixers have three sets of back-to-backs over the next two weeks. That would have meant three games missed out of the next seven, even if he was “healthy.”

East Competition Getting Tougher

There was an initial narrative the East has been so bad the Sixers can bide their time with Embiid’s recovery. Nearly halfway through the season, that no longer appears to be the case.

The Milwaukee Bucks got off to a rough start but have since improved enough to currently hold home court advantage in the first round. The Orlando Magic have had their share of injuries but received a major jolt of energy with the return of Paolo Banchero.

The Indiana Pacers are another team that struggled early to find its footing because of injuries and a slow start for star Tyrese Haliburton, but are now much more resembling the team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

Cleveland, the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks look locked in as the top three in the East barring injury, meaning a top-six spot looks a long way off for Philadelphia.

With a Play-In spot now seeming like the best-case scenario, it’s hard to believe in the Sixers for a first-round matchup against Boston or Cleveland if they got there.