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There are high hopes this season after the Philadelphia 76ers landed Paul George this offseason. George can perfectly complement superstar and former MVP Joel Embiid's game. However, with George and Embiid set to miss Philadelphia's season opener with knee injuries, hope has turned into panic.
Embiid's absence from the 76ers' season opener continues their preseason plan. The former MVP didn't play during the preseason due to left knee injury management. Embiid appeared in 39 regular-season games last season while dealing with a meniscus injury he first sustained in late January.
He underwent surgery and was expected to miss 6-8 weeks recovering. He returned in time for the playoffs and even dropped 50 points in Game 3 of Philadelphia's opening-round series against the New York Knicks, but the 76ers were knocked out in the first round. Embiid averaged 34.7 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Embiid has been working to manage his knee better throughout the offseason, as he has a history of knee injuries, and said he lost nearly 30 pounds to try and take stress off his knees. But, the initial timeline set for Embiid to return for the season opener. However, now that things are in the air when he plays, 76ers fans are understandably panicked.
What are 76ers fans saying about Joel Embiid's latest injury?
Despite his injury history, Embiid remains the 76ers' centerpiece. Staying healthy all season will be critical if they finally make a deep postseason run. But, with so many cryptic updates regarding whether or not he'll play, Philadelphia fans are frustrated with how the team is handling their superstar big man.
It was always a lock that they were going to communicate all of this in the most confusing and nonsensical ways. They are going to reference “the plan” all year and it’s going to feel like this pic.twitter.com/11DoZxPI8G
— Mike O'Connor (@MOConnor_NBA) October 22, 2024
So, fans will remain frustrated and confused until a plan is devised that either takes them to Tahiti or puts Embiid on the court. The 76ers went 47-35 last season and made the playoffs for the seventh straight campaign. The franchise has not made it to the Eastern Conference finals since the 2000-01 season. So, to say it's a concerning way to kick off the Embiid/George era in Philadelphia is an understatement.
George was the team's prized free agent acquisition, an ideal third wheel to complement Embiid's dominance and Tyrese Maxey's playmaking. But Embiid's injury management has made things feel a bit murky. He was injured in the postseason last year and wasn't moving well at times during the Summer Olympics. It seems his time off hasn't helped, and when paired with Embiid's admission, he probably won't ever play back-to-backs for the rest of his career; it's natural to worry about this team's potential.
