Health key for Embiid, 76ers
PHILADELPHIA — It’s April and the postseason looms for the 76ers, which really only means one thing in Philadelphia: Joel Embiid is dealing with some kind of affliction.
One of the greats in the game, Embiid has accomplished just about all there is to do in the NBA. He’s an MVP. A two-time scoring champion. A seven-time All-Star.
This season, Embiid even scored 70 points in one game.
Yes, Embiid’s season-accomplishments have made him worthy of max contracts and Olympic teams and all the other spoils that go with blossoming into one of the most must-watch players in the NBA.
But it’s playoff time once more and that’s the season when things get dicey for Embiid. The 7-footer has played through injuries since the day he was drafted and it’s more of the same this season. He tweaked his surgically repaired left knee last week, and while coach Nick Nurse expected his big man to go Wednesday in the play-in game against the Heat, there’s never a guarantee Embiid will be structurally sound enough to withstand a grinding postseason run. His availability — rather, lack of it — is the most substantial reason the 76ers have failed to advance beyond the second round in the Eastern Conference playoffs in his seven full seasons in the NBA.
Yeah, but what about “next man up” or how a team is “more than one person” that are supposed to highlight that success and failure go beyond one player?
Forget it, Philly.
The 76ers finished 31-8 this season with Embiid — about a 65-win pace — and a woeful 16-27 without him.
As Embiid goes, so go the 76ers.
“Every chance that I can be out there,” Embiid said earlier this month, “I’m going to take it.”
The chance to go deep in the playoffs is tight for Embiid and his teammates.
The 76ers need to beat Jimmy Butler and the Heat to actually make the playoffs, where they’d earn the No. 7 seed and play the Knicks in the first round. If the 76ers lose, they must win the next play-in game on Friday to clinch the No. 8 seed in the playoffs and play the No. 1 Celtics.
Lose both and the 76ers’ season is over.
Nurse won an NBA championship with the Raptors in 2019 in a run buoyed by a seven-game conference semifinal win over the best 76ers team in Embiid’s tenure. It was also part of a string of postseasons interrupted by injury for Embiid.
Last season marked three straight years Embiid missed at least one playoff game with an injury. He sprained his right knee last season cost him games against the Nets and Celtics. He missed two games in the second round in 2022 and another in the first round in 2021 with various injuries, on top of the two he missed to begin the 2018 playoffs with an orbital fracture and another in 2019, also with a knee problem.
The 76ers have trudged on with a 5-3 record without Embiid in the playoffs since 2018.
The 30-year-old Embiid finished this season averaging 34.7 points and 11 boards in just 39 games.