youngcrev wrote:sixers hoops wrote:youngcrev wrote:I hate all the conflicting information on Embiid's knee. There is no surgery that would help. He needs a surgery. He needs to play through it and eventually his body will adapt. He needs extended time off.
They should do whatever is best for his long-term health, regardless of it's impact on this season. He shouldn't push it for a fruitless attempt at a postseason run. He shouldn't lay off it if that's not what's best.
Maybe that's what they're doing already. But the communication on this has sucked so badly, and their track record doesn't elicit trust.
The problem is Morey gave him a three year extension when he still had two years left on his deal. The guy only played 39 games last year, got an early, gigantic extension, and now can barely walk without significant pain. Morey needs Embiid to pretend that he is getting better so he doesn’t look like a fool. Embiid already admitted that his knee isn’t right and he is really struggling.
Then to cap it off, PG’s injury status and production are turning into the fear many of us had when he signed a 34 year-old to a four year massive contract. Most of us knew that the first two years of PG’s contract would prob be his most valuable, as he moves into his late 30s. Year one has been a disaster. And year two we likely won’t have Embiid. If we are going to get Embiid and PG to take us to the promise land, it will have to be in the playoffs of 2027 and 2028, when PG will be 37 and 38 years-old. Yikes.
Morey needs these guys to limp through games so he can keep pretending that they are working their way back to full strength. Embiid and George publicly discussing their injuries is killing Morey’s plan. He just wanted to hide in his office and keep hoping that they will get better, and the conflicting information is that Embiid is being honest about his knee not being right.
Eh... I mean, yes, to most of this.
But you seem to implying Morey is the reason these guys are playing through injuries and holding up surgeries (or maybe I'm misinterpreting what you are saying), and I just don't think that's the case.
This is Josh Harris this month:
“Listen, we got Joel [Embiid healthy],” Harris said. “When Joel, Tyrese [Maxey], and Paul [George] are all on the court, we are a great team. So we got to keep everyone healthy. In particular, Joel is a warrior. I know he’s fighting through some stuff, and I’m really optimistic that we are going to make a playoff run now.”
This is Daryl Morey this month:
“We've made our path to win harder, obviously,” he said. “We're gonna have to fight to probably get in the playoffs and then we're gonna have to fight to beat a very good team in the first round. But we feel like we would've had to play that team at some point to win the title anyway. And we're just focused on [a] championship. I know you have to squint a little but we feel like this group can still do that.”
A little more from Morey earlier this month on the Embiid extension:
"We thought it was the right move at the time, we think it is the right move now," Morey said. "Again, just with NBA history coming involved here, you don't win without one of these special players. You don't get to add a Paul George unless he knows they are going to be together for the long term. The feedback that we got from so many medical staff is that this is something that is manageable and over time should have improved. So, we thought it was the right decision."
His comments on Jo’s current knee condition:
"It often looks like, yes, he's about to play, and then he doesn't," Morey said. "That's just because we're managing symptoms. On this injury that he had last February and had the procedure on, it's one that you manage symptoms. We're optimistic long term, talking to the doctors.
Embiid to Lisa Salters:
"I asked Joel Embiid how that left knee feels, and he gave a really long pause and just said, 'It is what it is,'" Salters said. According to Salters, Embiid said that the ongoing management of pain and swelling from last February's procedure to address a meniscus injury has been "frustrating and the most difficult thing he's ever had to go through in his career."
Embiid follow-up to Lisa Salters report:
Postgame, Embiid clarified his comments. He did not exactly deny that he anticipates having another surgery at some point, but he was less definitive about it.
"I think the straightforward answer is that when you've got something that's inconsistent, at some point, you've got to do something about it," Embiid told reporters, via the Associated Press' Steve Megargee. "We don't know what it is. We're looking into every option."
Embiid’s comments on his knee:
"I don't know, I'm sure you can figure it out," Embiid said. "The way I was playing a year ago, is not the way I'm playing right now. It sucks, but I believe I probably need, you know, to fix the problem, and then I'll be back at that level. But it's hard to have the trust when you're not yourself.When you sum it up - Harris and Morey are talking about managing pain and making a playoff run, and Embiid is talking about how bad his knee is and likely needing another surgery. It seems like they are pushing different narratives. Josh and Morey are trying to pretend he simply has to manage his knee pain and they can make a run to the playoffs. Embiid is being realistic and acknowledging that this isn’t getting better on its own. It’s pretty clear who is trying to keep the season alive by having Embiid limp through games.
Having Embiid play like this is not best for him or the organization. It only presents opportunities for him to cause further damage. However, the people who just signed him to a massive extension and want to sell as many tickets as possible the rest of this season are the only people trying to rationalize him limping through these games by managing symptoms. The surgery was last February. Im pretty sure he shouldn’t be managing this type of pain if he didn’t need another surgery.
The best part is he found experts to say a degenerative knee condition will get better over time. They trimmed away most of his meniscus in each knee and he has knee inflammation consistent with little or no cartilage, but it’s somehow going to get better from having another meniscus surgery last year. All of the cushions in his knee are getting trimmed and ground away. Without artificial replacement, he will always have inflammation.
There is a reason for conflicting reports, Harris and Morey don’t want to acknowledge Joel’s dire knee condition while there are still tickets to sell. Conversely, Joel doesn’t want people to think he is soft and no longer as good at basketball when he is in significant pain. Joel is acknowledging the obvious while the team is pushing him to continue this charade.
