(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
It was reported Joel Embiid would be out for a week and re-evaluated after. An MRI showed no structural damage in his knee, but as a precaution the Sixers will not play him due to soreness.
Prior to the Butler and Harris trades, there was still a portion of the fan base that didn’t want to part with all the assets and go for it yet. There are still some that believe we gave up too much for both Butler and Harris. My thinking could not have been more contrary. Joel Embiid turns 25 in March. He has entered his prime and the Sixers need to capitalize now. Big men the size of Embiid do not last long in the NBA. A man of Embiid’s size should not be able to do the things he does on the court.
By the time Embiid reaches age 30, there’s a good chance his body will be starting to break down. I hope I am wrong. However, given his injury history mixed with other big men in league history, you see a lot of them starting to break down around that same time. Are there some exceptions? Yes, there are definitely some. I hope Embiid is one of them and I am wrong. But given what we know, the time to win and go for it is now. The next three seasons while Embiid is in his mid 20’s is the time to win a championship. I believe the core the Sixers have in place can get it done. As long as Embiid is healthy, there is no reason why they can’t.
The Sixers were able to muster out a win without him last night. You see the difference when he isn’t there. Even with Harris, Butler, Simmons, and Redick, they still struggled to beat an average Heat team. They go from being able to beat any team in the NBA, to barely beating the Heat at home. The hope is they can stay afloat the next week or two without him, and go on a run when he gets back. He doesn’t need to ever play a full season. All he really needs to do is play most of it and be ready for the playoffs each season.
