Sixers Receive Concerning Joel Embiid Injury News

Joel Embiid

Getty Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid’s injury issues of late could serve to be a real issue for the Philadelphia 76ers. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer provided the full scope of Embiid’s injury issues since before the season even started.

“Embiid has been dealing with foot problems all season,” Pompey said. “His workouts in the offseason and during training camp were hampered by plantar fasciitis. That led to him being out of shape at the beginning of the season. Then Embiid missed a combined eight games because of his left foot being sprained and general soreness unrelated to the plantar fasciitis. He’s also missed several other games with the flu, left knee effusion, and right knee injury recovery.”

Pompey revealed that, out of all his ailments, Embiid’s foot issues have plagued him the most this season.

“But his left foot has bothered him the most. He played in the last 11 games before the break despite being listed as questionable with the soreness. Embiid hasn’t been healthy for a month.”

The Sixers have to tread carefully from here on out with Embiid’s injury issues. While they could make the effort to catch the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, who are ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings, what they must ensure above all else is that Embiid is healthy when the playoffs start.


Embiid Admitted He’s Not Healthy

After the Sixers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers before the all-star break, Embiid admitted that he’s hurt enough that he may have to start missing games.

“I’m not healthy,” Embiid said, via ESPN. “I haven’t been healthy for the past three weeks, or month. I was just trying to get to the All-Star break without missing games and stuff. But I feel like I’ve reached the point where I need to follow the doctor’s advice…Back then he said I should have been sitting for two weeks, so we’ll see how the next few days go, and go from there.”

Embiid also went into more detail about his foot issues, believing that resting it should help him for the team’s upcoming playoff run.

“I’ve been having this lingering foot issue. According to the doctors, which needs a lot of rest and staying off my feet.

“Like I said, the focus is on winning, especially getting ready for the second half of the season and the playoffs. I’m focused on winning a championship. If that helps me get there healthy, then that’s what I’m going to do. I’m just going to see how it goes.”


Adding Kevin Love Could Give Embiid More Rest

An Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney that the Sixers want Love in part because he could give Embiid some rest.

“They’re going to rest Joel (Embiid) and P.J. a lot down the stretch, they want them ready for the playoffs,” the exec told Deveney. “So they can tell Love, ‘Hey, come here and you will start some games, you will have a spot in the rotation, we need a stretch 4, a stretch 5, and we’re going to the NBA Finals. That’s an attractive offer. And they could tell him, ‘Hey, if it works out, we will have a lot to talk about in the summer.’ They’re definitely in the mix.”

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Love will meet with the Sixers, though they are not the frontrunner at the moment.