The Philadelphia 76ers have lost seven consecutive games, are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 20-36 record and have very little margin for error if they still stand a chance at making the playoffs, which is likely only possible with a successful run through the Play-In Tournament.

Joel Embiid remained on the 76ers’ bench with Saturday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets on the line because Guerschon Yabusele was a more impactful option. The event was likely an embarrassing moment for the 7-foot-2 center who was the NBA’s most dominant player the past two seasons.

Philly's disappointing move to rule Embiid out for Monday's game follows a concerning report from ESPN insider Shams Charania, which indicated that the Sixers are "consulting doctors and considering alternative options, such as surgery, for his injured left knee."

We asked Sixers sources to comment on what doctors were telling us about the most troublesome left knee in Philly. The sources and our doctors agreed: Embiid should play on unless there's new damage.

No team in the NBA has had a more disappointing season than the Philadelphia 76ers. After acquiring Paul George, almost everyone expected the 76ers to be a legi