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The Philadelphia 76ers rolled out a questionable Joel Embiid for Game 1 of the first round against the Brooklyn Nets, but his 24 minutes of action quickly saw something was not right with the big man.
Dr. David Chao, a former NFL team doctor who writes a column for The San Diego Union-Tribune, wrote a piece specifically about Embiid after seeing the brace he wore on his injured knee on Saturday:
“The brace shown is used for unicompartmental arthritis,” wrote Chao. “It could be used for a bone bruise, but absent an acute injury that is unlikely. And given Embiid’s long-term value, I doubt the Sixers medical staff would allow him to play through a bone bruise to risk further damage.
“Therefore the brace almost certainly means Embiid’s longevity is in question.
“Assuming the brace means he has some sort of arthritis, there is no complete cure. There can only be management of the issue.”
Joel Embiid made all the difference early in the first quarter, quickly getting to the foul line by drawing fouls on Jarrett Allen and cashing in from the stripe. Yet as the game wore on, Embiid was seen laboring and spotting up from behind the 3-point line, clearly out of shape or too winded to get back in transition.
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The big man went a woeful 5-of-15 from the field and 0-for-5 from deep, making most of his damage from the foul line, draining 12 of his 18 attempts en route to his 22 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks for the night.
Embiid sat out the last two games of the regular season to rest and played in only 64 contests this season after playing 63 in 2017-18 and 31 in 2016-17. Prior to that, the 7-footer missed his first two seasons with an injury to his right foot.
Chao's assessment is based solely on what he has seen on TV, not an actual medical evaluation. But if his eye isn't betraying him, this could be a situation to closely monitor for the Sixers.
A player can deal with arthritis, but it is a process that has to require utmost care and evaluation. Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon played 18 NBA seasons despite having tendinitis in both knees — something he survived by getting constant treatment and being smart about his play throughout the course of his career.
