{"id":4411,"date":"2017-02-12T13:01:18","date_gmt":"2017-02-12T18:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=4411"},"modified":"2017-02-12T13:01:18","modified_gmt":"2017-02-12T18:01:18","slug":"joel-embiid-injury-confirmed-torn-meniscus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2017\/02\/12\/joel-embiid-injury-confirmed-torn-meniscus\/","title":{"rendered":"Joel Embiid Injury Confirmed as Partially Torn Meniscus"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia 76ers have confirmed that center Joel Embiid <\/a><\/strong>has a partially torn meniscus in his left knee.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/P76ersNews\/status\/830610891766849537<\/p>\n

Embiid Injury Confirmed as Partially Torn Meniscus <\/strong><\/h3>\n

The star rookie\u00a0suffered the injury on January 20th during a game against the Portland Trail\u00a0Blazers.\u00a0Embiid left that contest in the third quarter after\u00a0a\u00a0scary\u00a0off-balance landing<\/a> following a dunk. The injury,\u00a0previously reported as just a knee contusion, has caused Embiid to miss the Sixers’ last nine games, and 12 of the team’s last 13 contests.<\/p>\n

Tear “Low-Grade” \u2013 Surgery Not Expected<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to Philadelphia 76ers reporter Derek Bodner,\u00a0Embiid’s tear is low-grade and not expected to require surgical intervention. Bodner, who first reported the tear<\/a>, stated that\u00a0neither the knee contusion nor the meniscus tear is expected to be a long-term concern, and that Embiid is considered day-to-day.<\/p>\n

Embiid has yet to confirm the extent of his injury himself, but he did tell reporters <\/a>on Saturday that he is \u201cnot healthy\u201d and \u201cnot able to play right now.\u201d Expect Embiid\u00a0to remain out at least through the\u00a0All-Star break.<\/p>\n

Notably, Embiid\u2019s injury did not prevent him from dancing shirtless on stage <\/a>during a Meek Mill concert on Friday night. The Sixers\u2019 young star appeared on stage during the song \u201cWicked,\u201d causing fans to go into a wild frenzy.<\/p>\n

Impact of Embiid\u2019s Absence <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Embiid, a top contender for Rookie of the Year honors, has been impressive this season, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, despite playing relatively limited minutes (25.4 per game). Understandably, the Sixers have struggled without their imposing big man, losing six of their last nine games.\u00a0 The Sixers\u00a0are currently\u00a020-34, 13th in the\u00a0Eastern Conference<\/a>. The team was able to pull out a win on Saturday, however, snapping the Miami Heat’s 13-game winning streak<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia will continue to rely on Jahlil Okafor\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>and Nerlens Noel <\/a><\/strong>to fill the gap while Embiid is unavailable. Neither is capable of Embiid\u2019s level of play, but the Sixers will have to make due.<\/p>\n

Embiid\u2019s Injury History a Concern<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dealing with injuries is nothing new to the third overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, but Embiid’s recent history\u00a0is cause for concern.<\/p>\n

In 2014, Embiid missed the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments due to a stress fracture in his back<\/a>. Later that year, Embiid suffered a stress fracture to the navicular bone <\/a>in his right foot. The break required surgery to repair, causing Embiid to miss the entire 2014-15 NBA season. Just over a year later, Embiid re-broke the same bone<\/a>, causing him to undergo additional surgery and miss the 2015-16 season.<\/p>\n

Whether Embiid\u2019s body is built to endure a long NBA career is really questionable. Cartilage tears of any kind are cause\u00a0for serious concern, and recurring stress fractures can be career ending, particularly for big men. In fact, former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming <\/a><\/strong>had his career cut short by consecutive stress fractures to his navicular bone, the same ailment that has sidelined Embiid\u00a0for two seasons\u00a0already.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n