Joel Embiid looked all but certain to repeat as the NBA MVP this season, starting the season as the clear best player in the NBA. Unfortunately, Embiid was fighting against award eligibility from the start of the season. After having missed 12 games, Embiid forced himself to play through injury against the Golden State Warriors, where he tore his meniscus after contact with Draymond Green.
The injury was diagnosed as a left meniscus tear, but the 76ers have not ruled him out of the season.
“76ers star Joel Embiid — the reigning MVP — will undergo a procedure this week to repair a left meniscus injury, a team official tells ESPN. A recovery timeline is expected after the procedure, but the expectation is that he will miss an extended period of time.”
BREAKING: 76ers star Joel Embiid — the reigning MVP — will undergo a procedure this week to repair a left meniscus injury, a team official tells ESPN. A recovery timeline is expected after procedure, but expectation is that he will miss an extended period of time. pic.twitter.com/9c3ZqM7iT2
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 5, 2024
Going through knee surgery in the middle of the season is incredibly challenging. Even if Embiid could return in time for the end of the regular season or in the playoffs, he’d be posing a massive risk to himself and an even longer-term risk to the 76ers. Re-injuring a knee that hasn’t completely healed is easy to do and could be a career-changing moment for Embiid.
Embiid is averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game this season. He’s guaranteed to miss out on All-NBA or MVP due to his injury. Regardless of how people feel about the 65-game requirement for awards, Embiid would not be voted MVP even if the rule wasn’t in place and he suffered a serious knee injury in February.
Joel Embiid Needs To Prioritize Winning
Joel Embiid has been in a very lose-lose relationship with the fans recently. When Embiid does well, people discredit it as something a player with his size and ability should be able to just do, What people are frustrated by is his on-court inconsistency in the playoffs and tendency to get injured very easily.
The running reason behind Embiid’s career-long struggles in the playoffs is his style of play which doesn’t translate as well. His foul calls get nearly halved as referees aren’t calling minor fouls anymore. In addition, he is the offensive threat of the 76ers, and defenses are built around dismantling him.
He valued being healthy in the playoffs more than winning another MVP, but external pressure to reach the 65-game requirement led to him playing when he should’ve been resting.
An injury that could have gotten better with a week or two of rest will now likely keep Embiid out till the end of the regular season. That is a disaster for the 76ers, who were having a strong season despite the messy exit of James Harden in October. The 76ers haven’t even made a move to reinforce their roster since acquiring Harden, so making a trade will be imperative now.
Embiid should focus on his health and try to come back before the playoffs. The 76ers are 4-10 without him this season, so maintaining their record could be a challenge.
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