SUMMARY
- Joel Embiid has successfully undergone surgery for his meniscus tear.
- The Philadelphia 76ers star will be evaluated in 4 weeks.
A timeline for Joel Embiid returning to the court has finally been revealed. As most NBA fans should be aware by now, Embiid is the franchise star for the Philadelphia 76ers and is the current reigning MVP. He sustained an unexpected knee injury in a game against the Golden State Warriors and has not been able to step on the court for his team since.
Although some fans had initially hoped that this was not too serious an injury, reports soon emerged revealing that Embiid had decided to undergo surgery in order to address the torn meniscus on his left knee. Since surgery has the potential to keep stars out for an entire season or even longer, the NBA world wondered if Embiid would be able to make it back in time to help his team salvage this season.
Joel Embiid successfully underwent surgery for his meniscus tear
Even with the best medical health professionals in the world, there is no way to guarantee that surgery goes as planned and is successful. Fans have already seen Chicago Bulls star Lonzo Ball miss multiple seasons due to unsuccessful knee surgeries.
Thankfully, the reports have revealed that Embiid successfully underwent surgery for his meniscus tear. It was also mentioned that he will be evaluated in 4 weeks time in order to determine his status and potential return to his team.
BREAKING: Joel Embiid underwent surgery on his left meniscus l on Tuesday and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks.
There’s hope that Embiid could be back by the time of the 2024 NBA playoffs.
Get well soon, Joel! pic.twitter.com/c7IUY655VG
— NBA Buzz (@OfficialNBABuzz) February 6, 2024
While his primary evaluation is set for around a month away from today, there is no way of knowing whether he will be cleared immediately or will require a longer period of rest and rehabilitation. After all, the 76ers star has been dealing with knee injuries throughout his career and should be treated carefully.
Philadelphia 76ers fans hold out hope that Embiid will return in time for the playoffs
The 2023-2024 NBA playoffs are set to begin in the first week of June. That gives Embiid just around 4 months to get back into shape and help his team make a postseason push. Other reports have also explained that Embiid is expected to miss around 2 months of action under ideal circumstances.
Since the 76ers have not shared if Joel’s meniscus was partially or completely torn, there is no way of pinpointing an exact return. However, news of an evaluation in just 4 weeks gives 76ers fans some reason to hold out hope for his return.The larger question at the moment is if the 76ers can hold onto a playoff berth without having Embiid for the foreseeable future. In the event that they fall down in terms of standings and are in no position to make the playoffs, it would make a lot more sense to shut Embiid down completely for the season.