Philadelphia 76ers fans must have felt like hiding under a rock with the recent news. Joel Embiid, the frontline star for Philly has battled injuries throughout this season. Majorly, recovering from his knee injury kept him out for the first few weeks. However, the chronic issues continue to get worse. The recent news suggests The Process could need another knee injury in the offseason. And at this point, their franchise’s patience is being questioned.

Embiid has spent the majority of his career having suffered from ailments and injuries. Knee injuries have been the worst in recent times. Still, he signed a $193 million extension locking his future with Philly for another five years. But as talented as dexterous he is, the 76ers have been hit severely due to his injury plague.

And Brian Windhorst spoke about why the team has its hands tied to their backs.

“Yes absolutely because I know that people would like this to be a cut-and-dry issue. You either need knee surgery or you don’t. That’s not necessarily clear here. He’s seen a number of specialists. There isn’t a clear path on how to resolve this issue. He’s still playing obviously… If he needed knee surgery trust me the Sixers would have dealt with it. He’s playing right now and he signed this $193 million contract extension. He’s under contract now for five more years for $300 million. So they have to get this right. Right now they have no option. They have to figure this out,” he said on Get Up.

From an impact point of view, Joel Embiid is a freakish center. His scoring efficiency and loaded arsenal to put the ball in the basket is uncontainable for defenses. At his size, The Process can shoot the ball at a high rate and if needed be a bully in the paint. Having qualities of a modern and traditional center, the ceiling for Embiid is transcending.

But the Philadelphia 76ers have tried. And this is true, what can they do?

Danny Green suggests Joel Embiid call it a season

The Philadelphia 76ers found a pattern with Joel Embiid. He remained mostly healthy and stellar for the regular season. But wear and tear would have its consequences during the postseason. So to avoid overloading being a reason for his injuries, they have taken extra precautions this season. The 30-year-old has only played in 16 games thus far.

However, that’s now coming to bite them back. The Sixers currently sit 11th, outside of the Play-In zone. With Paul George also being in risk of injuries, Tyrese Maxey has been left with an underwhelming supporting case for most part of the season. And now, the 76ers almost can’t afford to sit Joel Embiid if they wish to attain the goal of having him healthy during the playoffs.

It seems unlikely that they would demand him to play more regular-season games after the recent update. Hence, former 76ers Danny Green believes it might be wise to shut him off for the season and hope for a higher draft pick. “At this point it’s just like let’s just ty to get him 100% healthy and he takes his time from now till then where there’s no excuses to be ready for the beginning of the season for next year and have our big three healthy if you still want to keep those guys together,” Green explained on Run It Back.

At this point, the Philadelphia 76ers are walking on thin ice. Every loss takes them a step further away from a possible playoff appearance. Joel Embiid has only just begun playing regularly. But with ongoing injury concerns, this could be a realistic outcome the franchise opts for to have a chance for an improved roster next season.

George and Maxey would still be under contract while Jared McCain recovers from his injury. It all depends on how severe the issue is with Joel Embiid. As an athlete, the former MVP must be most bothered by the situation. However, a tough decision could be around the clock. Do you think the Sixers should shut down their keystone for the season? Let us know your views in the comments below.