The Philadelphia 76ers are facing pressure at the midpoint of the 2023-24 season. Philly is trying to tend to Joel Embiid's knee injury amid their slight drop in the Eastern Conference standings. Moreover, Kendrick Perkins explained how he believes the Sixers should handle Embiid's injury woes.
Kendrick Perkins wants Joel Embiid to fully heal from injury for the 2024 Playoffs and beyond
Perkins understands the sentiment of Embiid wanting to play through knicks and pains. However, the severity of his knee issue concerns the sports analyst. Embiid reportedly could not jump off his knee ahead of his Jan. 27th absence against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
He originally injured his knee against the Indiana Pacers two days before the matchup. Perkins believes Philly should not allow the problem to affect Embiid's long-term health and playoff ability.
“If I'm the 76ers, I'd shut Joel Embiid down for this season. This is gonna get worse…You want him to have an opportunity to heal up,” Perkins told the NBA Countdown crew.
Perkins continued, “And then you go into next season, you resign Tyrese Maxey. You search the market cause you got so much cap space and now you get a healthier Joel Embiid for the long haul.”
The Sixers would not be allowed to shut Embiid down for the rest of the season if he is medically able to play due to the NBA's player policy rules. However, Perkins' point is made in the spirit of promoting a safe and efficient recovery process for the superstar center.
Philly needs Embiid at full capacity if they want to make a deep playoff run. In Embiid's short absence, the Sixers have dropped from third to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. Nevertheless, the team will find a way to maintain while the 29-year-old heals up.
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