The knee dilemma for Joel Embiid continues. He missed the first six games of the season due to left knee injury management, which also affected his preparation for the Paris Olympics. Since then, his playing time has been sporadic, but there have been no concrete signs of anything major happening.

That was until the update presented by Shams Charania just now.

Joel Embiid last played against the Brooklyn Nets, a game the 76ers won. Since then he has missed six straight games alluding to his knee injury. However, the problem is far greater. According to Charania, the star center will take additional time to fully heal and will be re-evaluated after 7-10 days by the Philadelphia 76ers. In that time, Joel Embiid will receive treatment for a swelling in his knee.

This puts further pressure on the team that is currently on a four-game losing streak. The juggernaut center has only played in 13 games this season averaging 24.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Sitting outside the play-in picture, the Sixers’ play at Paul George in the offseason is off to the most dreadful start imaginable.

Their star trio has only featured in 10 games together. With the current update, the Sixers will most likely plummet deeper into trouble.

NBA fans react to Joel Embiid update

The NBA community resonates with how the Philadelphia 76ers might be feeling – helpless. At the start of the season, the addition of Paul George led to the team being touted as one of the favorites for winning a title. However, with Joel Embiid out, dark thoughts are beginning to creep in. “Why even play at this point?” one fan wrote.

With their disposition, going down the ‘tanking’ route may seem tempting. But there are complications. The Sixers Sense’s Nicolas Pring also feels it’s the best course of action. However, due to the NBA being alarmed about the 76ers’ history with resting stars, taking that route may not be advisable either.

One fan even wrote, “Just shut him down for the season @sixers this is a joke at this point”. But why go for something so drastic? It’s because the Philadelphia 7ers owe their draft rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the coming season. The only way they can make something off it is by landing a top-six pick.

With their current position as the 11th seed, that seems to be an improbable scenario unless they shut down their star players. However, the complication in that is the NBA’s microscope on them. The association has been on alert with the 76ers, even launching an investigation into Embiid’s status at the beginning of the season. Hence, Pring feels unethical tanking is out of the question.

Some fans even questioned the injury in the first place. One fan mentioned, “This wasn’t even the original injury just say he’s out for the season and put everyone out of their misery,”. And well, it didn’t begin this way.

Initially, Joel Embiid was diagnosed with a left foot sprain which he suffered during the Christmas Day game against the Boston Celtics. He did play in the following four games but was listed as day-to-day before Charania’s report of an aggravation in his recurring knee injury he has suffered from over the past few seasons.

The injury also comes at a sour time for the NBA community. The fans have long wanted an MVP clash between Nkola Jokic and Joel Embiid in Denver. However, with his recent injury, they came to a realization. “lmaoooo anything to avoid playing Jokic” a fan sarcastically wrote.

Given the Sixers will travel to Denver in fie days, Joel Embiid’s wait to suit up in Denver will extend even further. The last time he appeared in the Ball Arena was in 2019. Embiid has missed the last five games in Denver, fueling the argument of him evading a matchup against the Joker. Sadly, the injury will likely give more steam to those allegations.

How do you think the Philadelphia 76ers should handle this complex season? Let us know your views in the comments below.