The Philadelphia 76ers are in a tricky situation regarding Joel Embiid. Although the 76ers star is considered one of the best players in the world when healthy, he has been injured throughout the majority of this season, rendering the earlier statement pointless.
It has been a long time since the 76ers have had any significant impact in the postseason. In fact, they have yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs despite having built multiple talented rosters around Embiid.
Given his current injury and ongoing health situation, are the 76ers willing to stick with Embiid or will they move on from the big man?
The Philadelphia 76ers Continue To Show Faith in Joel Embiid
Although Embiid has consistently dealt with injuries throughout his NBA career, the 76ers have made it clear that they are unwilling to move on from him.
They established that he is still the face of the franchise and that they are not willing to give up on this season.
“Philadelphia insists that it isn’t pulling any cord out of its plug just yet. It still views Embiid as its franchise cornerstone,” NBA insider Jake Fischer reports. “Season-ending surgery isn’t necessarily the destined outcome for Embiid either, sources said.
“As insane as it sounds, despite a miserable record of just 20-38, Philadelphia awoke Thursday just 2 1/2 games out of the No. 10 seed in the East that secures a berth in the league’s Play-In Tournament.”
The 76ers aren’t ready to pull any cord and still see Joel Embiid as their cornerstone as they sit 2.5 games out of the final play-in spot, per @JakeLFischer
“Philadelphia insists that it isn’t pulling any cord out of its plug just yet. It still views Embiid as its franchise… pic.twitter.com/OCD0sOHRJt
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 27, 2025
The 76ers are chasing the Chicago Bulls for the final spot in the Play-In Tournament. Therefore, their hopes of making it to the postseason have not been completely destroyed. However, a recent report revealed that Embiid is undergoing frequent injections for his knee issues, which is certainly a matter of concern.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania pointed out that the 76ers are being very cautious and consulting experts regarding Embiid’s knee issues. Embiid has played in just 19 games this season and hasn’t looked like himself.
Joel Embiid reportedly has to regularly receive injections in his left knee just to play 😳, per @ShamsCharania
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 27, 2025
There is no way that the 76ers saw this coming. After all, they added Paul George to their roster and made several other win-now moves this season in hopes of contending for an NBA championship. However, things obviously haven’t gone as planned this season.
In any case, fans are left wondering what course of action the 76ers will decide to take regarding Embiid. While it is certainly possible for them to make it into the Play-In Tournament, they will not be expected to accomplish anything of significance in the postseason without a healthy Embiid on the court.
