The bad news just keeps coming for the Philadelphia 76ers as Joel Embiid is set to undergo surgery this week to repair a left meniscus injury. There’s no recovery timeline as of now; that will be announced after the surgery, but it’s expected that he will miss an extended period of time.
What’s next for Embiid, and how long will he be out?
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who initially broke the news on Embiid’s surgery, while the Sixers’ superstar will miss some time, his season is not yet officially over. What is over, however, is his chances in this season’s MVP race.
Embiid was on pace to lead the league in scoring for a third straight season, having his best season yet so far this year while averaging 35.3 points per game. How long he will be out is still not determined, but depending on the exact type of meniscus surgery Embiid will undergo, he could see a minimum recovery time of six to eight weeks. If that’s the case, and if the Sixers can hold it down, Embiid could possibly return for playoffs as long as no setbacks occur.
It’s sad to see such a historical season being squandered due to injury. However, Embiid has always said he doesn’t care about MVP. He ultimately wants to win a championship. If the Sixers can stay in the race and make the playoffs, they will have a chance to make noise regardless of what seed they land as long as they have a healthy, hungry, and rested Joel Embiid. If they make it and he’s able to return, I wouldn’t count the Sixers out.
