Harris 'Really Happy' with Joel Embiid; 76ers Reportedly Feel Star Won't Need Surgery

Philadelphia 76ers team governor Josh Harris maintained the franchise is "still really happy" with star Joel Embiid, who remains out of action.

"He's a warrior. I've seen this. He's fought through a lot of injuries," Harris said to The Athletic's David Aldridge. "You remember when we started, in his first (two) years, he didn't play at all. And then, in his third year, he played 30-something games. And then, he fought through all of that, and became the MVP. So, he's fighting right now, and we're fighting. And I'm hopeful and optimistic that we'll get through.

"I want him to get his body right and get on the court. If he gets back on the court, everything's going to fall into place. I know him as a person, and I know him as an individual, and I know how hard he's working. I think he's also super-smart and very in-tune with his body. He has a whole team around him, and we have a whole team around him. He's getting the absolute best care and best advice. I'm hopeful that he'll fight through this and make it happen, and that's what we're going to plan for right now."

Aldridge reported the Sixers remain hopeful their cornerstone center doesn't need surgery and will be back "sooner rather than later."

The 2024-25 season has been an injury-plagued campaign for Embiid, as he has missed 31 games due to various ailments.

On Jan. 17, the Sixers announced the 2022-23 NBA MVP would be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days as a result of knee swelling after missing six games with a sprained foot. In all, he has sat out the past 11 contests.

Embiid missed 43 games last season but returned during the latter part of the year and appeared in all six of the 76ers' playoff games. He also represented Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, winning a gold medal.

However, the seven-time All-Star missed the first nine games of the 2024-25 season while managing a knee injury and didn't make his season debut until Nov. 12.

The Sixers were viewed as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference entering the season after signing Paul George to play alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, but they struggled to a 2-7 start without Embiid and haven't been able to dig themselves out of that hole.

Injuries have long been an issue for Embiid, as he missed each of his first two NBA seasons in their entirety before debuting during the 2016-17 campaign.

Embiid has never appeared in more than 68 games in a single season, and he has played in 51 or fewer seven times when including this season.

Injuries have seemingly taken their toll on Embiid this season as well based on his dip in production compared to the previous few seasons. After averaging 31.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.2 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game over a four-year stretch from 2020-21 through 2023-24, his numbers have dropped to 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.0 blocks, 1.2 made threes and 0.8 steals this season.

While it may ultimately prove to be a lost season for Embiid and the Sixers, there is perhaps still a chance for them to go on a run and make the playoffs if he is able to return and play close to his usual level of performance.