This season has been yet another struggle for 76ers center Joel Embiid. He has played in just 18 of a possible 54 games due to injuries and load management, and has seen a large drop in his numbers when he does hit the court.
Due to their struggles and standing in the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia could consider shutting down their former MVP soon.
Joel Embiid Has Played Just 18 Games In 2024-25
It is clear that Embiid is nowhere near healthy. Before he even takes a step, it is obvious that he is dealing with knee injuries. In the games that he does play, his legs, especially his left, are heavily wrapped and padded. His movement has never been the most fluid, but things have gotten far worse this year.
He labors up and down the court, with what looks like more of a limp than a gait, and he has been robbed of essentially all of his explosiveness. He spends plenty of energy just lifting himself off of the ground.
Embiid hasn’t played both ends of any of the back-to-backs for the 76ers this year, and won’t.
Joel Embiid when it isn’t November pic.twitter.com/hbAqOu6jVi
— 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙙 ☘️ (@BOSFred7) February 21, 2025
Injuries have always been the biggest knock on Joel Embiid’s NBA career. He sat out the entirety of his first two years in the league, and hasn’t played in more than 68 games in any of the nine seasons since. This will likely be the third season of his career in which he has failed to reach the 40 games played plateau, especially if the team continues their losing ways.
76ers Losing Streak Could Force Them Out Of Contention For Good
Thursday’s loss to the Celtics was the 6th straight for the 76ers. They are now a full 15 games under .500 at 20-35, the 5th-worst record in the East. It seems like a good time as any for the team to shut down their oft-injured star, but they are only 1.5 games behind the Bulls for the 10th seed and final spot in the Play-In. Philadelphia might feel like they can leap into the playoff picture if things start going their way, but are likely just a couple of losses away from putting an end to the season for Embiid.
The 76ers will be at home for their next two contests, which will be played against beatable teams in the Nets and Bulls.
Joel Embiid is averaging 24.9 points per game, nearly a full 10 fewer points than last year. His overall field goal percentage of 45.5% is the lowest of his career.
