Ahead of their penultimate game against the Atlanta Hawks, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that superstar center Joel Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Wednesday, April 9. A Sixers representative referred to the surgery as “successful.”
According to the organization, Embiid will be re-evaluated in six weeks’ time to determine the next tangible level of success the minor surgery had on his knee.
What is success?
Fans may hear the word success and celebrate. After all, success is a good thing, right? We want to be successful; we want those we love to be successful, and we want our desires to be successful. So, for Joel Embiid’s latest surgery to be deemed “successful,” it must be a positive sign, right?
Yes and no.
While it is always better for a player to undergo a successful procedure than an unsuccessful one, success is relative, and fans should temper their expectations for Joel Embiid’s future. For an arthroscopic procedure to be deemed successful, the surgeon likely made it in and out of the knee with little issue, and in the days since, Embiid has likely experienced minimal swelling, pain not helped by medicine, and fever.
That is while Embiid resting post-op. The issues that the Sixers and their star saw with his knee have continually flared up during the season when Embiid is active and on his feet.
Perhaps a more meaningful update can be provided in six weeks when Embiid is able to do a bit more to test the durability of his knee. However, there is no guarantee that he will be able to endure the season in the manner Philadelphia needs him to.
There’s nothing wrong with taking the small victories as they come. Considering the way the season has gone for the team, one would be wise to focus on the positives once in a while. However, one cannot allow hope to blind them. There is still a long road back for the former MVP; this is just the next step.
This story is developing. Check back with Philly Sports Network for the latest.
