Embiid says he’s not himself on the floor as left knee ‘problem’ persists

Embiid says he’s not himself on the floor as left knee ‘problem’ persists originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid played in his 18th game of the season Thursday night vs. the Celtics.

As everyone who watches him and the Sixers can see, his availability alone does not mean that everything is fine.

Embiid sat out the fourth quarter of the 20-35 Sixers’ blowout loss to the Celtics. In 27 minutes, he finished with 15 points on 3-for-9 shooting, four assists and three rebounds.

At his locker, he answered questions about the left knee he’s been trying to manage all season. Has it prevented him from doing certain things on the floor?

“I don’t know,” Embiid said. “I’m sure you can figure it out. The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now and it sucks. But I believe I probably need to fix the problem and I’ll be back at that level.

“But it’s hard to have the trust when you’re not yourself. I’m not as dominant as I was a couple months ago, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t have a lot of impact on the game. Just me being out there, I think it helps a lot — just my presence, my ability to attract double teams, getting guys more shots.

“But my dominant self, I’ll get there. It’s just tough because you know you can do so much more. There’s no excuses; it’s just the way it is. Just got to keep finding ways to figure it out and get better.”

Embiid underwent a procedure on his left lateral meniscus last February. He returned for the end of the regular season and the Sixers’ first-round playoff loss to the Knicks, then won a gold medal with Team USA at the Paris Olympics. Since then, he’s been unable to stay on the floor for an extended stretch.

Though Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters on Feb. 7 that the Sixers’ long-term prognosis on Embiid’s knee is optimistic, the setbacks, swelling and frustration don’t suggest the problem’s been “fixed.”

Asked if the All-Star break was helpful, Embiid’s response was, “A little bit.”

“I’m OK,” he said. “Still managing. Got to keep going, hope for the best.”

In terms of on-court production, it’s true that Embiid’s proven his peak level is higher than what he’s shown during the 2024-25 campaign. He racked up a franchise-record 70 points about 13 months ago against the Spurs. At 30 years old, he’s a seven-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion and former MVP.

This season, Embiid’s averages are 24.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists. His efficiency has dipped, too — 45 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from three-point range, plus fewer free throws drawn.

Meanwhile, Paul George has clearly not been his best self either.

After scoring 17 points Thursday, he confirmed a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania that he’s recently been receiving injections to allow him to play through multiple lingering injuries. George has needed to wear a splint on his left pinkie in games.

“I’m hanging in there,” George said. “I’m just trying to give this team everything I have. The report is true. I am taking some sorts of medicines to kind of play through pain. But yeah, I’m going to try to give it everything I’ve got.”

And did the All-Star break benefit George?

“It did … especially being able to soak in salt water,“ he said with a smile. “It’s good for the body. I got a lot of that in over the break. It definitely helped.”