Joel Embiid is once again going to be sidelined by injury, which has become a familiar refrain for the Philadelphia 76ers. Embiid’s teammates are feeling the pain as well.
Embiid has been ruled out for at least the next three games after suffering an oblique strain in Thursday’s win over Miami. The star center will be re-evaluated after the 76ers play back-to-back home games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
This is nothing new for Embiid, who has played in just 91 games since the start of the 2023-24 season. Andre Drummond, Embiid’s Sixers teammate, summed things up with perhaps the saddest quote imaginable.
“I want to wrap him in a bubble sheet and give him a hug, man,” Drummond said, via Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I just feel like he can’t get a break.”
Plenty of 76ers fans would likely feel the same way. This is not even the first injury he has dealt with since the All-Star break. The only silver lining is that this does not appear to be linked to his infamously balky right knee.
The Sixers are 33-26 so far this season, entering play Sunday. They look likely to make the playoffs, but to do more than that, they desperately need Embiid to be healthy.