Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is out for Friday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets due to a left knee injury, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.

The 2022-23 MVP missed the first six games of the season due to maintenance on his surgically repaired left knee. He was out for three more games due to a suspension for pushing a reporter into the locker room.

Before the season started, Embiid and the Sixers indicated the team would be even more proactive in handling his workload in an effort to keep him healthy for the playoffs.

The plan made sense in theory because Philadelphia needs the seven-time All-Star at his best in the postseason to have a realistic path to a championship. However, his early absence pointed to one risk of the strategy.

By the time Embiid made his debut on November 12, the Sixers had dropped seven of their first nine games. It went eight out of ten when Embiid wasn’t enough to help Philly avoid a 111-99 loss to the New York Knicks. His failure to play back-to-backs caused the team to suffer a 114-106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers the following night.

Signing Paul George should give the 76ers a bit of a cushion if Embiid is out of the lineup. However, George also missed the start of the year and is working on a similar plan in terms of burden management.

How Philadelphia does in the playoffs will be the ultimate barometer for how this year is judged. Maybe everything will click for the Sixers once April rolls around.

For now, much of the excitement that comes from summer has probably dissipated in the City of Brotherly Love.