Joel Embiid was recently called a ‘free-throw merchant’ by a Charlotte Hornets announcer. But that is not stopping the Philadelphia 76ers star from dropping some impressive performances for his team. Suiting up against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Embiid dropped 19 points a night to help Philly win. But that might mean the 32-year-old would be out against the Detroit Pistons. 

Injuries have plagued the career of the 2023 NBA MVP. In fact, he has just returned against the Chicago Bulls on March 25, 2026, after missing 13 games this season. And since then, the 7-time NBA All-Star has never played in consecutive games. Thus, as he logged in for 34 minutes against the Timberwolves, it is very unlikely that we will see Embiid in action against the Pistons. However, the team has not officially confirmed his unavailability.

Interestingly, this is not the only season where the 32-year-old has struggled to keep himself healthy. A recent stat showed that Embiid has played 485 games and has also missed 485 games during his NBA career. What’s more? After he debuted for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016, injuries have repeatedly prevented the two-time NBA scoring champion from completing a full season.

Meanwhile, despite the 76ers’ star playing at the moment, his oblique strain looks more than okay. 

Is Joel Embiid Fully Healthy Now?

The 2023 MVP proved his worth when he dropped a banger of a performance against the Bulls on March 25, 2026. Logging in for just 28 minutes, the star player dropped 35 points to lead the 76ers to a 157-137 drubbing of the Bulls. And this was no ordinary game. Philadelphia recorded the franchise’s highest score in fifty years. But it did come at a price. Following the game, Embiid admitted that he played through extreme pain in his obliques. 

“It’s really painful. You can’t cough. You can’t sneeze. Every time you sneeze, it feels like you are going back to where you started. It’s still not where it’s supposed to be. Maybe when the season is over, it’s going to get better. It’s really painful,” Embiid said as reported by John Clark on X. 

Thus, with the Philadelphia 76ers looking set for a playoff berth, the probable absence of Embiid might cause them some uneasiness against the table toppers.