76ers' Joel Embiid Out for Season with Knee Injury; Will Focus on Treatment and Rehab

Joel Embiid's injury woes have officially ended his season.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced on Friday that Embiid is "medically unable to play" and will be shut down for the remainder of the campaign so that he can focus on "treatment and rehabilitation."

Following his MVP-winning season in 2022-23, Embiid has struggled to stay on the floor. He played just 39 games a year ago, and this season has seen him miss even more time.

Embiid has played just 19 games while dealing with a knee injury that has been burdening him for almost a year. When on the court, Embiid has been far from the MVP version of himself we saw two years ago. 

He's averaging just 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game after putting up 34.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game last season. Amid his struggles, Embiid recognized that he's not been himself this season.

"The way I was playing a year ago, it's not the way I'm playing right now. It sucks," he told reporters on Feb. 20. "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."

Regarding Embiid's injured left knee, ESPN's Shams Charania reported in February that the 76ers were "consulting doctors and considering alternative options" after trying several treatments such as injections this year.

At his best, Embiid is one of the best players in the NBA and makes Philadelphia an NBA Finals contender. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented him from playing at the level he's capable of this year.

Amid his injury struggles, Philadelphia is currently sitting in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at 20-38 and could miss the postseason for the first time since 2017.