The Philadelphia 76ers will be missing their star player on Thursday night.
Starting center Joel Embiid is out for the home game against the Atlanta Hawks due to a right knee injury. This adds to a series of health challenges he has faced recently. The situation highlights a recurring issue in Embiid’s past seasons.
In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, trainer Drew Hanlen talked about Embiid’s struggle to stay healthy during crucial moments.
Hanlen mentioned that Embiid expressed, “I would trade my MVP for one healthy postseason run because I believe that if I’m healthy, I’m good enough to help us win a championship.”
Will Joel Embiid ever make a deep postseason run with the Sixers?
Whether due to injuries or bad luck, the 76ers have not achieved expected results during the Embiid years.
In his 10 seasons with the team, they have reached the playoffs seven times but have never advanced past the conference semifinals. As of Thursday night’s game, Philadelphia holds a record of 30-24, standing sixth in the Eastern Conference.
The last time the 76ers made the playoffs was in 2024. At that time, Embiid was healthy, but they lost in the first round 4-2 to the Celtics. In those six games, Embiid averaged 33 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks.
When fully fit, Embiid can deliver MVP-level performance in the playoffs. If he remains healthy throughout the postseason, the team could seriously compete in the East, especially with guard Tyrese Maxey playing at a high standard.
Maxey is averaging 28.9 points and has scored over 30 points in 19 out of 52 games. Additionally, rookie shooting guard VJ Edgecombe has emerged as one of the standout players in his draft class, averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals.
Philadelphia’s backcourt looks promising for the future. The big question remains: What version of Embiid will the 76ers have if they reach the playoffs as anticipated?