“First round exit & he’ll cry again” – NBA fans troll Joel Embiid over rumors of making early comeback for 76ers from knee injury

Despite being without Joel Embiid for over two months, the Philadelphia 76ers remain one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. However, they have recently fallen to eighth place and are now in the play-in tournament realm. Despite their struggles, there is a glimmer of hope as there are rumors that Embiid may return for the playoffs. Interestingly, not all NBA fans are thrilled about this potential comeback.

NBA Central recently shared a video of Embiid’s workout session with his fellow 76ers at the team’s facility. The footage showcased his smooth movement as he hit step-back shots and successfully made layups.

“Joel Embiid is coming back soon. Scary Hours,” NBA Central tweeted.

In response to the tweet, a fan wrote:

“First round exit & he’ll cry again”

In reference to Embiid’s previous struggles during the playoffs, a user penned the following comment:

“He’s coming back just in time to drop 20-8-3 in the playoffs on 38% shooting!!”

Additional feedback from X users can be found below.

Joel Embiid’s Playoff Performance

Despite his injury this season, Joel Embiid has already established himself as one of the most dominant players in NBA history during the regular season. Over the past two seasons, the 76ers’ star has averaged 30.6 and 33.1 points per game on 49.9% and 54.8% shooting, respectively. Prior to his injury, Embiid was maintaining an impressive 35.3 ppg on 53.3% shooting.

Despite his regular season success, Embiid’s performance in the playoffs has not been as strong. Prior to his return, he was often targeted by trolls due to his and Philadelphia’s struggles in postseason play.

Philadelphia has had six consecutive playoff appearances, with five losses in the Eastern Conference semifinals and a first-round sweep by the Boston Celtics in the 2020 playoffs.

Despite being hindered by injuries, the 76ers star has maintained an average of 24.0 points per game and a 46.1% shooting percentage in the postseason. However, these numbers are lower compared to his dominant performance in the regular season, where he has proven to be a player of high caliber. Moreover, his shooting percentage from beyond the arc has also decreased to 28.0%.

Embiid maintained an average of 23.6 points per game during the 2022 playoffs and improved to 23.7 points per game in the 2023 playoffs, where he was also recognized as the MVP.