Joel Embiid was shut down for the rest of the season after doctors realized his torn meniscus was more severe than originally thought. The young superstar, who was all but a lock for Rookie of the Year, now will finish a third straight season on the Sixers bench.
On Friday, Sixers coach Brett Brown told reporters that Embiid had met with doctors in Los Angeles about the options for how to handle his knee injury, and said “all options are on the table.”
#Sixers' Joel Embiid met with doctors today LA to talk about options to repair his torn meniscus in his left knee.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) March 10, 2017
Embiid (knee) talking w doctors in LA while Sixers are here. “It’s all on the table. We’re trying to do homework,” Brown said of next steps.
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) March 10, 2017
Brown said there isn’t any news beyond that Embiid met with doctors and that they are evaluating and weighing every possible option. The Sixers are involved in the process, but Brown also noted that Embiid has an “inner circle” helping guide him and that the decision will be his.
More Brown: "Ultimately, he’s the one that has to feel comfortable with it."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) March 10, 2017
There are those wondering why Embiid and the Sixers haven’t gone ahead with surgery to repair the meniscus, if it’s severe enough to keep him out, but that final statement may shed some light on it. Embiid, who dealt with procedural setbacks while recovering from his foot injury coming into the league, will need to have the final say on what option they choose. History tells us that Embiid wants to be very thorough in deciding what to do with his injuries, and will gather as much information as possible, before ultimately deciding on having surgery, as we saw in 2015.
