76ers Injury Report: How Serious is a Torn Meniscus? Can Joel Embiid Update Hamper Philadelphia’s Season?

The Philadelphia 76ers released their injury report on February 1st and unsurprisingly, Joel Embiid is out for the next game against the Utah Jazz. The report stated that Embiid is suffering from a left knee injury or, more specifically, an “injured lateral meniscus in his left knee”. Could this injury jeopardize Embiid’s potential MVP status or cost the 76ers their Championship?

Joel Embiid was labeled as “questionable” for his last match-up against the Golden State Warriors on January 29th. During the game, Warriors’ power forward Kuminga landed on Embiid’s leg, making his already battered knee much worse.

How long is the road to recovery for Embiid?

MRI is the next step to diagnose the extent of the injury. So, how long does it really take to heal? Dr. Nirav Pandya, Professor of UCSF Orthopedic Surgery, recently tweeted that multiple treatment options for a meniscus tear based on size, location, and blood supply exist.

He further clarified that physical therapy is typically recommended for smaller tears and takes around 6 weeks. However, recovery for serious tears typically ranges from 4 to 6 months. That does not sound like the best news for the Philly fans who are eagerly awaiting Embiid’s MRI results. Embiid could well be out for more than the next couple of games.

What happens to the 76ers championship dream?

Just last week, following their game against the Denver Nuggets, the 76ers were slapped with a fine of $75,000 for failing to report Joel’s injury before the heavily anticipated matchup between Nikola Jokic and Embiid.

Joel Embiid has had a great run this season and enjoyed a great start to the season playing at an MVP-caliber level averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. In an all-time high performance, Embiid scored a staggering 70 points against Antonio Spurs last Monday. However, as per League rules, if Embiid cannot successfully finish more than 65 games, he’ll be out of the MVP race.

Read more:Joel Embiid’s 70-Point Outburst Redeems 7x Champion’s Blockbuster Trade Prediction

The dreams of the 76ers to become a championship team this year also seem uncertain. With Harden home-bound in Los Angeles, young Tyrese Maxey had the runway to shine and become the lead guard. And shine he did, for a few games though. As per Philly’s injury report, the health status of Tyrese is questionable after an ankle injury, which has only added to the setbacks for Philly.

Looks like the road to recovery and championship is rather long for the 76ers.

Watch the story:76ers’ Found Guilty as NBA Imposes Exorbitant Fine Despite Joel Embiid’s Innocence