It’s been a nightmare season for Joel Embiid, to say the least. He has only played in six of the Philadelphia 76ers’ 24 games, missing time due to left-knee injury management, a three-game suspension, and now a sinus fracture.
During last Friday’s loss against the Indiana Pacers, Embiid was hit in the face by Bennedict Mathurin while going for a defensive rebound. Embiid left the game and didn’t return, and he was eventually diagnosed with a sinus fracture.
Embiid missed Monday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets and will also sit out Friday’s home matchup against the same team. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated in a week.
The 76ers had championship aspirations heading into the season, but it’s been nothing but frustration. On top of Embiid’s injuries, Paul George missed 10 games due to a hyperextended left knee, and Tyrese Maxey had to sit out six contests because of a hamstring injury. The three stars have only played in three games together, with two of them cut short because of injuries to George and Embiid.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith warns Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid turning into Ben Simmons
During Tuesday’s episode of “First Take” on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith had harsh words for Embiid, warning that he’s close to turning into Ben Simmons. Embiid and Simmons were teammates for four seasons (not including Simmons’ rookie year, which he missed) and were expected to lead the 76ers to a championship.
The relationship between Simmons and the 76ers broke down following their Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2021. Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, would hold out at the start of the 2021-22 season, and the 76ers ended up trading him to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the James Harden trade. Due to his extensive injury history, Simmons has only played in 77 games since the trade, averaging just 6.6 points per game.
"Let me say this to Joel Embiid in all seriousness: You're about a tad bit away from being compared to Ben Simmons. … You bring up the injuries and all of that stuff, I look at the disinterest on his face… the lack of enthusiasm."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 17, 2024
– Stephen A. Smithpic.twitter.com/s4tyDip8zV
“Let me say this to Joel Embiid, in all seriousness: You’re about a tad bit away from being compared to Ben Simmons. It’s starting to look that bad,” Smith said on “First Take.”
Smith continued: “I look at the disinterest on his face, and that was before it got cracked. I look at the disinterest, the lack of enthusiasm, whatever. We can talk about his injuries and fair enough, right, but here’s the problem. You were injured last year; you only played in 39 games. In the playoffs, obviously, you got bounced in the first round by the New York Knicks. You didn’t look that way in the Olympics — you looked pretty damn happy. You looked pretty damn happy playing in the Olympics. And then inexplicably, you ain’t ready to go come this season. And I’m looking at that and I got this list of injuries here just so you all know: sinus fracture, foot, knee, health protocols, back, hands, face, ankles, shoulder, calf, hip, elbow, ribs, injury management.”
The 76ers are currently 8-16 and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, with no clear timeline for Embiid’s return or indication of how healthy he will be when he does come back.