Joel Embiid Shut Down for Season as Injuries Mount

Yesterday at 7:29 pm

2167 posts

Joel Embiid Shut Down for Season as Injuries Mount \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Joel Embiid’s injury-plagued career takes another devastating turn, as the Philadelphia 76ers officially ruled him out for the rest of the season due to persistent issues with his surgically repaired left knee. The 2023 NBA MVP and two-time scoring champion will focus on rehabilitation, but uncertainty looms over his future with the franchise. Embiid, who has missed nearly 50% of possible games since entering the league, now faces questions about his durability and long-term outlook as Philadelphia’s championship hopes collapse around him.

Joel Embiid’s Season-Ending Injury: Quick Looks

76ers Shut Embiid Down: The team confirmed he is “medically unable to play” and will focus on rehab and treatment.
Another Lost Season: Embiid has now missed nearly half of all possible games since being drafted in 2014.
Philadelphia’s Playoff Hopes in Jeopardy: The 76ers are 12-27 without Embiid, tumbling down the standings.
Lingering Knee Issues: Surgery last season failed to fully restore his knee, raising long-term durability concerns.
Mental Toll of Injuries: Embiid has spoken openly about depression and therapy to cope with his health struggles.
Future With 76ers Uncertain: Some speculate whether Embiid has played his final game in Philadelphia.

Deep Look

For the Philadelphia 76ers, the announcement was inevitable: Joel Embiid’s season is over. The 2023 NBA MVP, who has battled injuries throughout his career, has been officially shut down for the remainder of the season due to ongoing issues with his surgically repaired left knee.

The news marks yet another painful chapter in Embiid’s career, one that has been equal parts brilliance and heartbreak. At his peak, he’s been one of the most dominant forces in the league—a two-time scoring champion, five-time All-NBA selection, and an MVP winner. But his fragile health has kept him from sustaining that greatness, with this latest injury only furthering the narrative that his body simply won’t hold up over time.

The 76ers, who were expected to contend for a championship this season, now find themselves in free fall, losers of nine straight games and teetering on the edge of playoff irrelevance. With Embiid out, the future of the franchise becomes increasingly uncertain, raising questions about whether he will ever again play for the team that built its identity around him.

Another Devastating Blow in a Career Full of Setbacks

When Embiid was drafted third overall in 2014, he was seen as a generational talent with the potential to become the best big man of his era. But before he ever played a game, he was already dealing with injury concerns—a stress fracture in his right foot cost him the first two seasons of his career.

Since then, the list of injuries has only grown:

Meniscus tears in both knees.
Bone bruises, tendinitis, ligament sprains, orbital fractures.
Bell’s palsy and nerve issues affecting his face.

By the end of this season, Embiid will have played in only 452 of 883 possible regular-season games—meaning he has missed nearly 50% of his career due to injuries.

Even during his MVP-winning 2022-23 season, when he led the league in scoring and dominated on both ends of the floor, his body once again failed him in the playoffs. A torn meniscus in his left knee forced him to miss time in the postseason, and Philadelphia was eliminated in the second round—another crushing exit in a career full of them.

This year, his knee never fully recovered from surgery, and after months of struggles, missed games, and uncertainty, the 76ers finally decided to shut him down completely.

A Season That Started With Title Aspirations Ends in Collapse

The 2023-24 season was supposed to be a championship run for Philadelphia. The team built a deep, talented roster around Embiid, including an All-Star backcourt in Tyrese Maxey and (briefly) James Harden, before moving Harden to the Clippers.

For a while, things looked promising:

Embiid was averaging 33.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.
The 76ers were 30-18 with him in the lineup and playing like one of the top teams in the East.

But as the season progressed, Embiid’s knee issues worsened. He missed stretches of games and wasn’t moving with the same dominance that made him a perennial MVP candidate.

His scoring dipped to 23.8 points per game.
He was benched for ineffectiveness in his last game against Brooklyn.
The 76ers collapsed without him, going 12-27 in games he missed.

Now, with Embiid shut down, Philadelphia’s title hopes are dead. The team is barely clinging to a play-in tournament spot, and the roster faces major questions heading into the offseason.

Embiid’s Mental and Emotional Struggles With Injuries

Embiid has always been open about his battles with injuries, but in recent years, he has also spoken about the emotional toll they have taken on him.

He has admitted to struggling with depression and seeking therapy to cope with the disappointment of missing time.
He has leaned heavily on his wife and young son to keep him going through the difficult days.
In December, he said:
“One lesson that I learned is to stop feeling bad about myself and just live day by day. Enjoy good people around me, positivity, and not focus on the negativity.”

Even as he tried to stay optimistic, he hinted that his knee issues might require another surgery, something that would put his future in serious jeopardy.

“When you’ve got something that’s inconsistent, at some point, you’ve got to do something about it,” Embiid said earlier this month.

Now, it seems likely that another medical procedure could be in his future.

What’s Next? The Future of Joel Embiid and the 76ers

With Embiid out for the season, the biggest question for the 76ers becomes: Has he played his last game for Philadelphia?

There is already speculation that the team could explore trade options in the offseason.

Embiid is under contract through 2026-27 after signing a four-year, $193 million extension in 2021.
He has earned nearly $266 million in his career, but his constant injuries make him a risky long-term piece for the franchise.
The 76ers could consider trading him and building around younger stars like Tyrese Maxey.

If Embiid stays, the biggest question will be whether he can ever truly be healthy for a deep playoff run.

Since winning MVP in 2023, he has played just 58 regular-season games and seven playoff games.
His inability to stay on the court has led some analysts to question if he can ever be the centerpiece of a championship team.

For now, 76ers fans are left wondering what could have been. The team tanked for years to land Embiid, trusting in “The Process”, only to see his career defined by injuries rather than dominance.

His talent is undeniable. His impact when healthy is undeniable. But the biggest question remains—will he ever truly stay healthy long enough to lead the 76ers to a championship?

With his season over and his knee still an issue, that question is as uncertain as ever.

Final Thoughts: A Career at a Crossroads

Joel Embiid’s story is one of extraordinary talent and unrelenting hardship.

He has done things few big men in history have accomplished—dropping 70 points in a game, winning an MVP, dominating as a scorer and defender.
But his body has never allowed him to fully capitalize on that talent.

As the 76ers move forward without him, one has to wonder:

Is this just another setback, or is it the beginning of the end for Embiid in Philadelphia?
Can he return next season and finally stay healthy?
Will the 76ers decide to move on, fearing that his injuries will always hold them back?

For now, the only certainty is that Embiid’s latest injury has once again left him on the sidelines, watching, instead of leading his team where he always hoped to take them—an NBA championship.