Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Philadelphia 76ers rookie center Joel Embiid suffered a bone bruise against the Portland Trailblazers back on January 20. It's been over a month and he has still issues with his knee swelling. After shootaround on Monday, the Sixers released some concerning information, indicating Embiid will have an MRI on his knee and that there is now no timetable for his return.
Medical update (1/2):
•Embiid did not take part in shootaround after swelling in left knee. MRI today. Listed out indefinitely.— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) February 27, 2017
On Thursday, the Sixers had released information that was pointing to Embiid returning on March 3 against the Knicks, but that looks to be in serious doubt at this point with the big man now needing an MRI. There's no telling the severity of Embiid's knee issues, but one has to wonder whether the partial meniscus tear is a factor in the swelling.
In 31 games this season for the Sixers, Embiid is averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Although he's a favorite for Rookie of the Year, that may not be the case anymore with the amount of time that he's missed.
Joel Embiid has a high ceiling to become an NBA superstar, but if his injury history tells us anything, there's definitely plenty of reasons for concern here. His aggressive style of play is acceptable to a point, but once he starts getting reckless and flying into the stands, that is where a line needs to be drawn.
Hopefully his MRI reveals no further damage, but it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see Embiid miss more than the next two games moving forward.
