In a career troubled by injuries to his feet, knees, elbows, shoulders and even orbital bones, at least Joel Embiid had avoided surgery on his internal organs. Until Thursday.
The Philadelphia 76ers announced that their franchise center had been diagnosed with appendicitis and would have emergency surgery in Houston. It’s likely to keep him out for the Sixers’ postseason, greatly weakening the team’s chances of success.
Joel Embiid can’t stay healthy
While Embiid is often critiqued for his weight or lack of conditioning, it’s hard to fault him for appendicitis. He’s played only 38 games this season but was getting healthy at the right time, while playing five of the team’s last seven games and sitting only on a back-to-back and against the woeful Washington Wizards.
It’s another setback for the 76ers’ “Big Three” plan, where they signed Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George to big long-term contracts in the summer of 2024. Then Maxey played only 52 games, injuries limited George to 41 appearances and Embiid played only 19 games. They went 24-58, then got lucky in the draft lottery and got rookie VJ Edgecombe (16 PPG) at No. 3.
This season, they’ve been healthier, but George was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy and has played only 34 games. Kelly Oubre Jr. has suffered multiple injuries, and Embiid has missed half of the team’s games.
But sitting just one game out of sixth place and with a star-studded roster, the newly healthy Sixers were looking dangerous in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Now they’ll have to start the playoffs without their former MVP, who put up 34 points and 12 rebounds just three days ago.