When the Sixers started this season with the newly formed Big Three of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, the expectations were sky-high. Naturally. But the reality has been far from it (a little too far). Dealing with frequent injury concerns, the trio has barely been on the court together and the team is stuck at the 12th seed in the East. Obviously, the most disappointing aspect has been Embiid’s unavailability, who has played only nineteen games so far, dealing with a lingering knee injury, among other issues. And now, these constant setbacks have led to two major financial blows for the Philly franchise.

Due to the Sixers’ lacklustre performance this year, the ticket prices for their games have taken a significant hit. Even for tonight’s Bulls clash, a fan can book a seat in the arena for as low as $5. And if you wish to sit courtside and get the best seats in the house, it will only cost you $297 on TickPick. I know! Unbelievable.

Sure enough, this is a major hit to the team’s revenue, but why would fans show up if there is nothing to cheer about?

Well, their biggest superstar, Embiid missed another game tonight as he completed new imaging on his injured knee and is amid consultation with doctors and specialists. Turns out, the tests will continue for the next couple of days as concerns grow around his health. And many even believe Joel might be done for the season.

However, Nick Nurse has remained adamant on Embiid’s status despite the latest update and announced that the 76ers are not ruling him out for the season just yet. “We are playing and testing and trying to figure it out and go from there,” the head coach remarked. As of now, the team is assessing multiple options, including surgery. If that’s the case, Joel’s season is as good as done. And that is disappointing for Nurse and the franchise.

Nick Nurse disappointed as Season with Joel Embiid “Hasn’t Worked Out” as he Envisioned

As per reports, the Cameroonian big is trying his best to stay healthy and available. In fact, he is even taking injections in his knee to play through the pain. But the injury continues to bother him and it is evident from his performance on the court, as his averages have declined significantly from last season (34.7 points and 11 rebounds) to 23.8 points and a little over eight rebounds.

Joel has even acknowledged his struggles and admitted that the issue needs to be fixed. “The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now. It sucks, but I believe I probably need, you know, to fix the problem, and then I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have the trust when you’re not yourself.”

Of course, the former MVP’s season was also cut short last year after he tore his meniscus in the same knee. That injury is bothering him even today. As his season continues to be in jeopardy, Coach Nurse is heartbroken about how things have turned out. “I don’t think that anybody envisioned it going like this. So yeah, it is. It’s disappointing on a lot of levels, man. He wants to play. We want him to play. Our best version of our team is with him playing, getting to where we want it to go and it hasn’t worked out like that yet,” he said, the helplessness and frustration seeping out of those words—something that every Sixers fan can relate to.

Considering everything, Philly’s chances of making the playoffs are declining with each passing game. And even if they make it there, it is highly unlikely that Embiid will remain healthy for their entire run. So, it might be better to shut him down for the season and deal with his knee injury once and for all so that it does not bother him again. Because if his health does not improve, the Philadelphia 76ers will continue to take such financial hits in the coming years as well.

And that does not bode well for anyone.