Daryl Morey, the Philadelphia 76ers’ president, voiced optimism on Friday that reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid would recover from a knee injury in time for a possible postseason run.
“We’re hopeful,” Morey said before the 76ers met the Atlanta Hawks, three days after Embiid had surgery on his left knee. “Since we initially learned about what led to his treatment, we’ve received more positive than negative feedback. So we’re hopeful, and we’re assembling a team to make it better this year. Obviously, it is not at 100%. But with Joel playing at an MVP level, he should be able to get back there. And this year, we have a real chance.”
When asked if his strategy would have changed based on Embiid’s injury, Morey was unambiguous.
“If the hope wasn’t there in Joel, I think it would have changed things dramatically,” she said. “We are quite hopeful. Obviously, it isn’t 100%. It’s likely to be far from perfect. “But we believed it was the right thing.”There are numerous ways not to win the title. Winning a title is difficult; Joel’s inability to return at the level we expect is one of the reasons we are unlikely to win a title this year. … But you always want to be among the best teams, and that includes taking risks on the injury front, which is where we are right now.
Embiid, who averages 35.3 points and 11.3 rebounds in 39 games, has missed the last five games after Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga tumbled on his left leg, damaging the meniscus and requiring surgery on Tuesday. The initial report from the 76ers stated that Embiid would be “re-evaluated” in four weeks. Embiid has missed the previous two games due to swelling in his left knee.
Morey declined to detail Embiid’s particular treatment, which would have provided insight into the severity of the injury.
Morey stated that he was unsuccessful in his attempt to replace Embiid and upgrade the team’s backup center position from Paul Reed. He expressed surprise that no ‘bigs’ were dealt before the trade deadline.
