Joel Embiid has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season with a lingering knee injury. Embiid has only played in 19 games this season and his numbers have been fairly minimal compared to what fans are used to seeing from the former MVP. Embiid will finish the season averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, his worst scoring season since 2019-20. Embiid had also not averaged less than double-digit rebounds per game since the 2016-17 season.
Embiid had previously hinted that he might have to undergo another surgical procedure on his knee sometime in the future. It was not made clear whether or not the decision to shut Embiid down for the rest of the season is an indication that he has chosen to have the surgery now.
The 76ers’ Season Continues Downward Spiral
The injury news deals a final, fatal blow to what has been a disastrous season for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers currently sit in 12th-place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 20-38, placing them 2.5 games behind the East’s final play-in spot with is held by the Chicago Bulls. Philadelphia has lost nine straight games—the longest active losing streak in the NBA. The Sixers have won just one game in the month of February.
After adding Paul George in the offseason, Philadelphia was viewed as one of the early favorites in the East, alongside Boston, New York, and Milwaukee. However, almost nothing has gone right for the 76ers since the season began. Philly limped out of the gate, starting the season with a 2-12 record. They have not been able to right the ship since then and are now all but guaranteed to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
What Does The News Mean For Joel Embiid’s Future?
Joel Embiid has dealt with injuries throughout his entire career. He missed his entire rookie season in 2014-15 due to a broken navicular bone in his right foot and later ended up missing the entire 2015-16 season after needing an additional round of surgery on the same foot. In the nine seasons since, Embiid has never played more than 68 games over the course of a single regular season. Embiid has come to receive the “injury prone” label by many NBA fans.
Embiid’s injury problem has seemingly gotten worse in recent years. After winning league MVP and his second consecutive scoring title in 2022-23, Embiid was only able to play in 39 games the following season. That total was cut in half this season which will conclude with Embiid playing in less than 20 games overall—his lowest number of games played since missing the entirety of his first two seasons. Over the past two seasons, Embiid has played in just 58 out of a possible 164 regular season games.
The fact that Embiid has been continually plagued by knee injuries should be concerning for the Philadelphia 76ers. Embiid will turn 31 years old in March and while he is clearly still a dynamic presence when he’s on the court, one can’t help but wonder how many more prime years his career has left. The 76ers have a challenging offseason ahead of them as they attempt to rebound from the absolute nightmare that this season has turned out to be.
For More Sports And Entertainment Content
Follow me on X at @genz_sportz
