Joel Embiid update: Knee injury rehab to keep 76ers star out of preseason action
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will not be available for the rest of his team's preseason games. According to reports, the Sixers have decided to keep Embiid sidelined for the remainder of the preseason as he rehabilitates from his knee injury.
Embiid was not with the Sixers in any of their first three preseason games. According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, he met with doctors on Thursday concerning his left knee.
Joel Embiid was limited to only 39 games last season which disqualified him from winning any major awards. He suited up in 34 of the Sixers' first 46 games, missing games intermittently during that period.
In those 34 games, he led the league in scoring with 35.3 points per game. He also averaged 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks.
After playing his 34th game on Jan. 30, Embiid missed 29 straight games. He came back on April 2, with seven games left on the Sixers' schedule, against the OKC Thunder. In that game, he registered 24 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
He played in five of the seven regular season games. In those five games, he averaged 30.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.4 spg and 1.2 bpg.
In total, Joel Embiid averaged 34.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.2 spg and 1.7 bpg in 39 games. In the last two seasons before last, Embiid was the league's leader in scoring (30.6 ppg in 2021-22, 33.1 in 2022-23).
Also read: Watch: Joel Embiid dons coach's hat assisting Tyrese Maxey and 76ers from the sidelines in preseason skirmish
Joel Embiid talks about his health during the Sixers' media day
Joel Embiid's health has been a massive concern since entering the league. He missed his first two seasons and has continued to deal with health concerns over the years.
Embiid has never played in more than 70 games in a year, including his MVP season in 2022-23, playing in only 66 games. The most number of games he's played is 68, which was in 2021-22.
His health became a topic of discussion during the Sixers' media day on Sept. 30.
When asked about his health, Embiid said that he shed some weight, losing somewhere around 25-30 pounds to ease the load on his knees. He also said that he wasn't done yet and wanted to lose more weight.
He said that the focus this year is ensuring that he is healthy in the playoffs so he can help his team when it matters most. He added that he won't be gunning for any personal accolades like an All-Star or All-NBA selection.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been a permanent presence in the playoffs since Embiid broke out into his All-Star form. However, the team has never been past the semifinals, and a part of that could be attributed to Embiid's health issues.