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#pounditMonday, January 13, 2025

Troubling report emerges about Joel Embiid’s knee injury

Joel Embiid with a straight face

Apr 16, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) before game one of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers have lost four of their last five games, and the cavalry may not be coming back any time soon.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN appeared this week on “The Woj Pod” and shared some troubling info about the knee injury that 76ers star center Joel Embiid is currently dealing with.

“That knee injury is the same one he had during the playoffs last year,” said Shelburne of Embiid. “And during the playoffs, he had to go [play]. [But] this is the kind of knee injury that is normally a four-to-six week injury.”

The reigning league MVP Embiid has now missed Philly’s last two games with what the team has described as swelling and inflammation in his left knee. Indeed, he was also plagued by a knee injury last playoffs that caused him to miss Game 4 of the first round against Brooklyn and Game 1 of the second round against Boston before returning to action. That injury was diagnosed at the time as an LCL sprain (albeit to his right knee).

Embiid, 29, has a long history of lower-body injuries and also has to carry a lot of weight on those knees at seven feet and 280 pounds. With nearly 50 games still left to go in the regular season, the 23-13 76ers would be smart to hold Embiid out until he is fully recovered (though that could cost Embiid in a notable way).

H/T NBA Reddit