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The Lack of Transparency with Joel Embiid’s Injuries Continues to Make Everyone Look Bad
By Sean Barnard
Published:
The more things change, the more they stay the same. More than a decade into the Joel Embiid era, the Sixers’ outlook for making any sort of postseason noise falls almost entirely on the shoulders of his health status.
Availability has been a consistent buzzword attached to Embiid throughout his career. It’s become increasingly relevant as the injuries piled up and his age has progressed. The two-time scoring champion was limited to a career-low 19 games played last year, and looked like a fraction of himself when he was on the floor. Then he underwent another knee surgery this summer and his outlook was unclear as ever coming into this season.
All things considered, Embiid has wildly outperformed realistic expectations from both an availability and a production standpoint.
The 31-year-old has suited up for 32 of the Sixers’ 58 games. He’s playing 31.2 minutes per game in these matchups and posting averages of 26.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 49.8% from the field. The Sixers are 20-12 with him and 12-14 without.
When Embiid first spoke about the injury outlook on media day, there were some hopeful signs that things could be a little different this year:
“I feel pretty good. I think we made a lot of progress over the last couple of months. We’ve got a plan in place, try to check off all the boxes. … This is still kind of like a feel period where we’re just taking it day by day. Keep getting stronger, keep getting better.”
“I think I want to be as honest as possible. I think going forward, I’m just going to listen to the body. I’ll be honest and say it’s going to be unpredictable at times, and that’s OK. We’ve got to work with that. We’ve got to take it day by day and go from there.”
Availability itself has been an issue, but the lack of transparency surrounding his outlook has made the situation increasingly frustrating. Everyone has come to accept that Embiid is going to miss some games. But the failure to communicate what exactly he’s going through has only made both Embiid and the Sixers look worse. This is a cycle they looked to be getting out of leading into the year, but the Sixers’ organization is now right back in the same place. Just about every game day, it isn’t until a half hour before tip that it’s officially announced whether or not Embiid will play. There have been some surprising late scratches, as well as surprising appearances.
Along with the acceptance that Embiid will miss time throughout the year, there’s the expectation that a few issues will sideline him for multiple games and pop up now and then. He missed nine games across roughly three weeks in November with a knee issue opposite this summer’s surgically-repaired leg. Outside of upgrading him to questionable a few hours before game time, no announcement was made for what the specifics of the injury were, nor was there ever a timeline established until he made his return to the court.
More recently, the former MVP missed five games over two weeks spanning the All-Star break. When he was unable to return to play after the festivities, the Sixers provided this medical update:
“While participating in a right knee injury management program during the All-Star break, Joel Embiid reported soreness in his right shin. Following a consultation with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.”
He stepped back on the floor in Indiana after missing the three games coming out of the break. And he looked good with 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 11-for-17 shooting across 26 minutes. Philadelphia blew out a poor Indiana team 135-114, in which the vision for what this Sixers team can be at its peak was put on display once again. Sure, this is a Pacers team that is actively tanking. But to see Embiid continue to flash as one of the most unguardable players in the league and the rest of the Sixers’ roster properly fill their roles around him was reassuring.
It was less reassuring when Embiid spoke to the media after the game to provide some clarity on his knee and shin flare-up. In an article written by Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Embiid described the sensation as an electric shock coming down his right leg:
Though officially identified as shin soreness on recent 76ers injury reports, Embiid called it a stress reaction. It became the latest test in Embiid’s more cautious approach to navigating his health this season, as he missed five consecutive games with that ailment along with right knee injury management.
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Following Tuesday’s victory, Embiid acknowledged he previously was “not familiar” with the treatment or recovery process for stress reactions. He anticipates the path forward — closely monitoring the leg, and managing his workload — will be similar to how he and the medical staff handled his knee at the beginning of this season.
This is a completely justifiable reason to be unable to suit up for an NBA game, and, honestly, a bit surprising that Embiid is back on the floor so quickly, given the context. But when it is said on the public injury report that this is “right knee injury management, right shin soreness,” it’s all we can react to.
It has felt that the more the injuries have stacked up across Embiid’s career, the more sensitive he and the team have been about letting this information out. While having our own medical information made publicly available is not a burden any of us can relate to, to some extent, it comes with the territory of being a professional athlete.
It’s fair to read between the lines and recognize that this guarded mindset comes from Embiid, based off quotes from both himself and the team. But the increased effort to limit what information is made public only makes both he and the Sixers organization look worse. The Sixers have been fined at least five times for violating injury reporting rules dating back to 2022, costing them a minimum of $425,000. For Embiid, it makes the perception of him come off as though he is not making as much of an effort to get on the court than is likely the case.
One of the more encouraging takeaways from the start of the Sixers’ season was the way this team found an identity without Embiid. The dynamic backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe provided a fast-paced style that was good enough to produce some wins. But the more that Embiid has been available this season, which includes him playing 20 of 25 games from December to the start of February, the more dependent they have become on the superstar. Paul George being suspended for 25 games after he had settled into his role has not helped this outlook either. It is an impossible tightrope to walk of finding ways to play without the team’s best player, while leaning on him when he is on the floor to maximize the team’s talent overall.
As much as there are plenty of positive signs from the youthful backcourt, it has also become increasingly clear that this is not a team that can make any sort of playoff noise without Embiid. The Sixers sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but hold an average point differential of +0.7. If you were to sort the standings just by point differential, this would rank eighth in the Eastern Conference and tied for 15th in the NBA. They are a mediocre team that shows flashes of being much better than this, as well as occasional games in which they can lose to anyone.
Whether we like it or not, the Sixers fan base is along for the ride for whatever level of health Joel Embiid possesses for the remainder of the season, and likely his career. But getting a bit more clarity on the guardrails for this ride and what exactly the situation has in store would be best for all parties. For all the steps that the Sixers have attempted to be taken to change the outlook of simply leaning on Embiid to carry them to the promise land, the Sixers find themselves right where they started. The only real postseason chance for this team is praying for a healthy playoff run. Feels like the basketball gods owe them a bit of changed luck, right?
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.