Fortunes in the NBA take one moment to change drastically. So has been the case for Joel Embiid. The Sixers Center was having an incredible season until his unfortunate injury. From witnessing his top-notch performances, the Sixers fans are now left wondering about their star’s return date.
The situation has become more significant than just Embiid being sidelined from the NBA MVP race. The injury now poses a threat to the Philadelphia-based franchise’s championship hopes, sparking a broader discussion.
Joel Embiid to undergo knee surgery to fix torn meniscus
In the match against Golden State Warriors on 31st January, the Sixers lost more than a game. Their phenomenal performer, Joel Embiid suffered a vital injury that could cost him the majority of the rest of the season.
The last season’s MVP winner was seen unfit during the match because of his pre-existing injury. It got worse when Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga fell on his knee. Unable to bear the pain, Embiid left the court.
A team official told ESPN that the Sixers star will go through treatment this week to fix his left meniscus injury. Averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest so far, he was one of the favorites to win the MVP award this season.
BREAKING: 76ers star Joel Embiid — the reigning MVP — will undergo a procedure this week to repair a left meniscus injury, a team official tells ESPN. A recovery timeline is expected after procedure, but expectation is that he will miss an extended period of time. pic.twitter.com/9c3ZqM7iT2
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 5, 2024
After missing 14 games and the rest of the unknown number of games that he will miss because of the injury, his chances of winning the individual awards for the second time straight, end on a sour note due to implementation of NBA’s 65-game rule.
Nick Nurse’s thoughts on Joel Embiid’s potential return in the future
Sixers HC Nick Nurse has opened up about their star player’s current situation. Praising Embiid as a human being and player, Nurse said “Obviously, he was playing at an incredible level. I think that always magnifies it a little bit when somebody’s having such a fantastic season, but we’ll just wait and see what happens here in the next few days.”
He also shared his lack of knowledge about his recovery time but was positive about the 29-year-old’s return.
Nick Nurse on how Joel Embiid is handling his injury situation:
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) February 3, 2024
“I think there’s a lot going on that he’s gotta do. But for me, he’s been pretty positive.” pic.twitter.com/4NODxSFFyO
In Embiid’s absence, Tyrese Maxey has played a crucial role in the Utah Jazz game dominating from the beginning. Despite winning the match 127-124, they struggled against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday and ended up losing 136-121.
They have looked well shy of the expected standards without their key player and are currently on the fifth position in the Eastern Conference. There has been no disclosure about the Cameroonian’s return date, but it is predicted that he will be out for a long period of time. The 3-time NBA champions will face the Dallas Mavericks in the next game on Tuesday and will hope to fill the void of their main man.
