Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid won’t be suiting up for the foreseeable future, with several doctors trying to figure out the best treatment for his ailing knee.
It’s a complex situation that has led to varied opinions with a thread of logic connecting them all. Though the recovery of Embiid’s meniscus has been impeded by several factors –namely conditioning, other injuries, and common obstacles– surgery isn’t the most likely option. However, if Embiid does undergo another procedure, he could take a “radical” route.
Sixers’ Joel Embiid Considering ‘Radical’ Surgery
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes, the former league MVP’s options include “meniscus replacement,” “low-dose radiation therapy,” and “osteotomy, in which doctors break a bone in the hip to realign the joint to alleviate pressure.” Out of those options, low-dose radiation therapy might have the least severe side effects. In fact, a 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine describes the procedure as a “noninvasive treatment with minimal side effects.”
With that being said, perhaps Embiid can avoid an offseason operation with advice from another center whose career was impeded by injuries: former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins.
DeMarcus Cousins’s Weight Advice
“For me, it’s the weight,” Cousins says on Run It Back. “You’re at the point now in your career where your weight matters. You’ve been through injuries, you’ve been through surgeries. Obviously, it’s still a nagging issue. So now, it’s about holding yourself accountable—go lose 40 pounds.”
“Obviously, your body can’t sustain that type of weight. The wear and tear, the constant pounding on your knees night after night—it’s not going to help your situation. Go lose 40… Being at that size and weight— in the league today—it doesn’t really help you. You don’t have to go out there and be this huge, physical guy anymore. This is a rail-thin league. It’s about moving up and down, side to side. It’s not about physicality and bruising.”
“So, go lose 40,” he reiterates. “I think he still remains a dominant player. He’s more of a finesse, jump-shooting big at this point in his career. Losing that 40 helps—it improves his quickness, his explosion, and his ability to get up and down the court.”
Cousins then cites former San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan as an example. Halfway through the 2008-09 season, Duncan was diagnosed with right quad tendonitis, which was leading to stiffness in his knee. Eventually, the future Hall of Famer’s knee issues became so significant he was in the midst of a steep decline.
Then, in the 2011 offseason, he decided to lose weight. By 2013, he was down from 260 pounds to 235 pounds.
RT @danmccarneysaen: Finally got a specific number out of Tim Duncan: Says he’s lost 30 pounds from his peak weight of 265
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 30, 2013
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In four of the five seasons he played after 2010-11, he was receiving league MVP votes. In two of those seasons, he was named an All-Star.
It’s Worth A Try
Embiid has previously said he’s trimmed 25-30 pounds, which would’ve brought his listed weight to 250-255 pounds. The questions about his conditioning seem to contradict his statement. Nonetheless, a player’s weight total isn’t all that goes into assessments of what shape they’re in. In any case, given the predicament that Embiid is now in, trimming more weight to reduce the strain on his lower extremities isn’t a bad idea.
If he’s hovering around 250 pounds, losing another 40 might be too drastic. However, being in the 230-pound range would put him in the same boat as a player like Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (235), who still manages to dominate as a scorer. In fact, Sengun is often compared to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP who considers being in peak condition to be a major factor in his career season.
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