National Basketball Association

76ers C Joel Embiid facing MRI, 'out indefinitely' with swelling in knee

Published Feb. 27, 2017 12:31 p.m. ET

Dan Graf

Three days after learning that No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons will miss the rest of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers are facing more disconcerting injury news.

Center Joel Embiid, who has missed the team’s last 11 games with a knee injury, sat out Monday’s practice with swelling in the knee and will undergo an MRI later in the day. He had been expected to return later this week, but the team has downgraded him to out indefinitely.

https://twitter.com/Sixers/status/836258552058638336

Embiid was the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, but foot injuries kept him off the floor until this season. He’s averaging a remarkable 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in just 25.4 minutes, but even the team’s careful monitoring of his health this season couldn’t prevent this setback. With roughly six weeks left on the NBA calendar, it’s certainly possible that we’ve seen the last of the league’s most exciting first-year player this season.

The Sixers also had some injury news about Simmons, who has yet to play his first NBA game: He had minor surgery to stimulate bone growth in his injured foot.

https://twitter.com/Sixers/status/836254644179451936

Philadelphia has two of the league’s most heralded young players on its roster, but its fans haven’t been able to see much of either.