Out of Site: Embiid Out (for real this time) ... There goes the Season

There's the calendar new year.

There's the lunar new year.

... and there's the new year that happens every year in Philadelphia 76ers land. It is the day where we ultimately come to hear the news that Joel Embiid will be sidelined with a serious injury that will cause him to miss multiple weeks/months of an NBA season. This time, after seemingly forcing himself to play in the game against the Golden State Warriors, Embiid has now been diagnosed with a meniscus injury. At the time of this recording, it is unclear if it is a tear or something less severe. One thing is for sure. The big man will be out for a period of time.

Who's to blame for all of this? The answer is the usual cast of characters. It's on the Sixers for not putting their foot down and protecting their franchise cornerstone. It is on Embiid who forced himself to play despite evidence that he shouldn't have been out there against the Warriors. It is on the NBA for implementing the 65-game minimum rule for in-season awards. It is on media types like Kendrick Perkins and/or Stephen A. Smith who pushed a narrative in one way or another that got into Embiid's ear. There is plenty of blame to go around. It is a potluck of blame, and so many deserve to have a nice big plate of dinner.

Embiid's season may (or may not) be over, but the Sixers season continues. Tyrese Maxey is playing at a (confirmed) All-Star level as the guard has been named to his first All-Star Team, but what does the team do now? As always, it depends on the doctors' evaluation of Embiid's knee to ascertain how serious an injury it is and how much time he will miss. The strategies for the season have changed with the trade deadline weeks away and the Sixers owning a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference. As great as Maxey has been, the Sixers may not have the firepower to defeat the Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks in a playoffs series (let alone the talented teams in the Western Conference).

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