Joel Embiid Ruled Out Saturday Because The Sky Is Blue

Death, taxes, and Joel Embiid sitting out for injury management. The Philadelphia 76ers have officially ruled their star center out for Saturday's matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, proving once again that the most heavily used muscle in Embiid's body is the one that updates his medical chart.

If you are holding an Embiid ticket for MVP or relying on him to anchor your fantasy roster, you are already living in a state of constant paranoia. The man has missed over 400 games in his career. That is not an injury history. That is a multi-year sabbatical broken up by occasional basketball games.

"Underdog NBA reported: 'Joel Embiid (injury management) listed out Saturday.'"

The wild part is that Philadelphia is completely fine without him right now. The Sixers are sitting at 5-1 and second in the Eastern Conference, looking like a team that actually enjoys playing basketball while their franchise player rests his knees.

Tyrese Maxey has taken the wheel, dropping 28.2 points per game and looking like the actual cornerstone of the franchise. Add in a 41-year-old LeBron James casually running the offense with seven assists a night, and the Sixers have more than enough firepower to survive a Saturday night in Charlotte.

But this is the fundamental absurdity of the Embiid experience. When he plays, he is an unstoppable force who averages a casual 27 points and 11 boards. When he does not, he is the most expensive spectator in the arena, leaving oddsmakers scrambling to adjust the lines hours before tipoff.

Philadelphia heads home to face the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Embiid might suit up, or he might need another 48 hours of management. Until then, keep your betting slips flexible and your expectations incredibly low.