The Philadelphia 76ers have struggled in the 2024-25 NBA season due to injuries to their stars. Their No. 1 option, Joel Embiid, has dealt with knee issues, limiting him to playing only 18 games. While his injury has limited him from playing more games, he’s still maintained a certain level of dominance on the court.
On Thursday, he played his 18th game of the year in a 124-104 loss against the Boston Celtics. Embiid played 27 minutes with 15 points, three rebounds and four assists. The 2023 MVP shot 33.3% from the field and failed to make a shot from beyond the arc.
Against the Celtics, Embiid wasn’t feeling well and struggled to make an impact for the Sixers. Following the game, the center talked about the limitations he’s dealt with throughout the season.
“The way I was playing a year ago, it’s not the way I’m playing right now,” Embiid said. “It sucks. But I believe… I probably need to fix the problem and then I’ll be back at that level, but it’s hard to have that trust when you’re not yourself. It’s tough. You know you can do so much more.
“I’m not as dominant as I was a couple months ago, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t have an impact on the game,” he continued. “Just me being out there I think helps a lot. My presence, my ability to attract double teams, getting guys more shots.
Joel Embiid, on whether the knee is limiting him:
"The way I was playing a year ago, it's not the way I'm playing right now. It sucks. But I believe … I probably need to fix the problem and then I'll be back at that level, but it's hard to have trust when you're not yourself."… pic.twitter.com/CneQ5zTTMA— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) February 21, 2025
“My dominant self, I’ll get there. It’s just tough because you know you can do so much more. There’s no excuses. It’s just the way it is. Just got to keep finding ways to figure it out and get better.”
This season, the knee issue of Embiid has heavily affected his performance. Following the NBA Trade Deadline, the star player hinted that he may undergo another surgery.
How has Joel Embiid performed this season?
Joel Embiid has stepped up his game after he went viral for planning on not playing back-to-back games. Since getting flak from fans, Embiid has started to play games for the Sixers. Before their loss to Boston, Embiid averaged 24.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 45.4% shooting from the field.
His performance this season is far from what he presented during the 2023-24 season. Last season, he was named an All-Star, averaging 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists. However, Embiid wasn’t voted by the fans or coaches as an All-Star for his limited time this season.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
