The Philadelphia 76ers just simply cannot catch a break this season.
Franchise centerpiece Joel Embiid, after missing the past six contests with a foot sprain, is now experiencing swelling in his knee that will keep him sidelined until he can be reevaluated in 7-10 days after an on-court workout yesterday, January 16. Embiid has dealt with knee, foot, and face injuries this season, leading him to only playing in 13 games so far. The left foot sprain that Embiid has been dealing with that has kept him out for most of January does appear to be healed.
The Sixers, a team that came into this season with championship aspirations, has fallen off of a cliff and lost five of their last six games. The Sixers currently sit at 15-24 on the season and now, with Embiid practically guaranteed to miss the next three games, the season looks even more bleak than it did just yesterday. Embiid will miss the Sixers road trip leaving the possibility for Embiid’s return at Wells Fargo Center against the Cleveland Cavaliers, though that is not guaranteed.
Looking towards the future, the Sixers have a tough stretch of games. Currently on a four-game losing streak, Philadelphia’s next four games are against the Indiana Pacers, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Denver Nuggets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, all of which are playoff teams. Those four games might just drop the Sixers to an eight-game losing streak, leaving them at 15-28 on the season and firmly in the cellar of the Eastern Conference. Without Embiid the Sixers’ chance of making a push to the play-in is slim, and given his injuries this season it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be able to help right the ship before it goes under.
Embiid’s Return
Even if Embiid does return after this stretch and remains healthy for most of the season, it doesn’t necessarily make the Sixers a playoff contender. So far this season, Embiid has only appeared in 13 games. In those 13 games, the Sixers are 7-6. Embiid isn’t going to singlehandedly fix this season. The lack of offense, the injury-riddled roster, and the fact that Philadelphia’s big three has only played 10 games together is concerning.
This season is quite possibly the bleakest it has been since the Bynum years. With the Sixers’ first-round pick only the top 6 protected and the ninth most expensive roster in the league, the Sixers may just be on their way to the draft lottery once again.
