“I’m not as dominant as I was a couple of months ago, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t have a lot of impact on the game,” Joel Embiid admitted recently, when addressing the media’s question after losing to the Celtics in their return from the All-Star break this Thursday evening.
This is why the Philadelphia superstar feels the need to “fix the problem” in his left knee to return to his former All-Star form. Last night, the 30-year-old didn’t play like the player we’ve grown accustomed to, scoring 15 points on just 3-for-9 shooting from the field in 27 minutes.
Joel’s nine attempts were the fewest he’s shot in a single match this season in which he didn’t have to leave early or suffer an ejection. The problem with the veteran’s health, is the fact that he is also suffering from a foot sprain, which has caused his to play in just 18 of the Sixers’ possible 55 games.
Joel Embiid, on whether the knee is limiting him:
“The way I was playing a year ago, it’s not the way I’m playing right now. It sucks. But I believe … I probably need to fix the problem and then I’ll be back at that level, but it’s hard to have trust when you’re not yourself.”… pic.twitter.com/CneQ5zTTMA— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) February 21, 2025
“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now,” he said after losing to Boston 124-104. “It sucks. … I probably need to fix the problem, and then I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have trust when you’re not yourself.”
Embiid acknowledged that not even the rest he had during the All-Star break wasn’t enough to get back to his old self, as the 76ers’ remain tied for the sixth-worst record in the NBA. “I’m OK,” he insisted. “Still managing it. Got to keep going and hope for the best.”
Joel isn’t the only health-related issue tormenting the Philly organization, as Paul George has also been struggling with injuries. Last week ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed that the former Clippers star has been getting pain-killing injections to allow him to compete in recent games.
“I’m hanging in there,” the veteran said after dropping 17 points in 29 minutes on Thursday. “I’m just trying to give this team everything I have. The report is true. I’m taking some sorts of medicines to kind of, I guess, play through pain. But yeah, I’m going to try to give everything I got.”
