Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid returned from his latest injury-related absence on Feb. 4, and if you were to look at his statistics across the four games he has played this month, you might get the impression that he's right back in the groove. He's averaged 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in those games, and he's gotten to play three of them alongside Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. Embiid's on the floor and the Big Three is finally reaching an operational state; things are finally starting to turn around in Philadelphia, right?
The Sixers are 1-3 since Embiid returned to the lineup (George did not play in the game they won), and each has produced footage of Embiid that one might describe as "alarming." He shot 38 percent from the field in last Friday's loss to the Pistons, and in 30 minutes of action was able to put together a highlight reel of awkward flailing. Last night's game against the Raptors produced what might be a new low point in Embiid's season. Down two with 16 seconds left, Embiid set a screen for Maxey at the top of the three-point line and then popped into space. Maxey zipped the ball to his wide-open big man, who lined up a potential game-winning three, hesitated, awkwardly drove into the defense, and then just kind of ... dribbled the ball off the back of his own head?
The home fans rained boos on Embiid after that play, which feels a little unfair considering that Maxey shot 1-of-9 from the floor and George put up a measly 14 points, but such is the cost of being a franchise cornerstone. Allow the ball to make contact with the back of your skull in a clutch moment, and you are going to be booed.
Embiid's fumble at the end of the game was indicative of something that's been apparent throughout these last four games, which is that Embiid is moving like a guy whose body is all fucked up. You only have to watch him play for a few minutes to understand that last year's meniscus surgery, which derailed what was shaping up to be one of the greatest offensive seasons in NBA history, has not had its desired effect. This was recently confirmed by Embiid himself, though you may have missed it given the fact that he broke the news on Super Bowl Sunday. Before the Sixers' afternoon game against the Pistons on Sunday, ABC's Lisa Salters reported that Embiid told her that his left knee has continued to bother him so much this year that he will likely need another surgery. After the game, Embiid talked more about being stuck in this pattern of injury and not-quite-recovery:
"At some point I probably need to just, especially when the summer comes around, these few months to just recover fully," Embiid said. "Like I said, don't know what it is, but if that keeps being the same pattern, then obviously you've got to try something else."
I don't know exactly what's wrong with my knee, but I need to try something else, is not a state that anyone wants a franchise player to be in, particularly one who is seven feet tall, 300 pounds, and about to turn 31 years old.
It has never been heartening to think too hard about the future and Embiid's place in it, but that future will arrive all the same. The hope for the Sixers was that this season, which was immediately undone by Embiid's absences and George's juicelessness, could be washed away as Embiid played himself back into shape and preparations were made for next season. But now all they have to look forward to is more uneven performances, another potential surgery, another recovery period, and another start to the same cycle they've been stuck in.
