76ers star Joel Embiid may no longer be eligible for MVP, but it doesn’t mean he has lost all ambition for the season. Catching up with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Embiid revealed his plans to return this season and continue his pursuit of a title.
“That’s why it was extremely disappointing,” Embiid said, “because I was on a roll and I felt like I wasn’t even close to where I wanted to be, body-wise and basketball-wise because I wasn’t at my best, so I felt like there was still another level that I could go to. But I was having fun, playing, getting a lot of wins, dominating. The mindset is ‘come back if everything goes well, go from there.'”
Embiid was on his way to a second-straight MVP win this season and he had a streak of 16 consecutive games of 30 points and 10 rebounds before going down with a nasty knee injury. Once again, Joel went down at his very best, and even the big fella himself couldn’t help but admit his disappointment.
Even so, you can’t help but marvel at what he’s been doing this season. Through 34 games this season, Embiid averaged 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 53.3% shooting. He had the Philadelphia 76ers in the top 4 in the East and is on track to secure home-court advantage in the first round.
His injury was a major blow to the organization but it’s something they’re used to already and there is still confidence in what they can do when he inevitably returns.
The Philadelphia 76ers Are All-In On A Title Run
Over the past seven years with Joel Embiid, it’s been a constant struggle to find the right pieces. Embiid has been the only constant so far but it’s been nothing but chaos all around with stars like Ben Simmons and James Harden leaving behind a trail of destruction in their departure.
This season, Morey put all his stock on Tyrese Maxey to not only raise his role but fill the shoes as the co-star of the team. In Embiid’s absence, he’s become their leader both on and off the court with averages of 25.9 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game on 44.9% shooting.
Without Embiid, or with him at half strength, the 76ers stand no chance against teams like the Celtics, Bucks, or Miami Heat in the East, and only with good health can they hope to pull off an upset.
If Joel can make a comeback before the end of the season and get himself into mid-season form before round one, it could change everything about how the Eastern bracket shakes out this year.
But for a guy with such an extensive track record of missing games, it’s hard to believe that he’ll be healthy through four playoff rounds. At this point, Embiid has to prove that he can deliver in those moments, and it starts by getting healthy enough to make a serious run in the spring.
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