In the midst of a context that alarms the main figures of the
NBA
after their participation in the fight for the
MVP
is in danger, being forced to play at least 65 games out of 82 in the regular season if they want to achieve it, the brand new rule left as victim to the top candidate for the award.
Cameroonian
Joel Embiid
of the
Philadelphia 76ers
will have
to undergo surgery
following a severe injury that will keep him from the courts as well as the chances of repeating the award.
The Sixers received one of the worst possible news: their top star suffered an
injury to the lateral meniscus of his left knee
and the recovery will require "
a prolonged period of time
", with no return date estimated, as confirmed by NBA specialists. .
Given the importance that Embiid represents on his team, the franchise's medical staff looked for a way for the player to have surgery once the season ended.
However, it was considered that the best option would be to start this week with an effective recovery.
The serious injury suffered by the 213 centimeters tall Cameroonian occurred last Wednesday, in Philadelphia's defeat against the
Golden State Warriors
by 119 to 107. During the last quarter,
Jontahan Kuminga
, in an attempt to keep possession of The ball fell with all the weight of his body on Embiid's knee.
Immediately, the player requested medical assistance and set off alarms among fans.
Watch the video again.
WHY DOES KUMINGA RANDOMLY DIVE ON EMBIID'S LEG???
JUST PICK UP THE BALL
Dirty as fuck pic.twitter.com/9sFhTZHrYB
— Broad STweet 🔔🦅 (@Broad_STweet) January 31, 2024
After receiving the MVP award last season,
all signs pointed to Embiid repeating the personal title this season
.
However, although there is minimal chance that the 76ers will have him again for the month of April, when the final phase of the regular season is played, in the coming days he
will be automatically disqualified from the race for the award
.
Based on the new NBA collective agreement, the decision was made that anyone who wishes to be considered for the MVP
can only miss a maximum of 17 games throughout the season
.
In this way, due to certain muscle discomfort that has been harming him since the beginning of the league, Embiid was absent in 12 games of the 37 played until the moment of the injury.
Consequently,
it is inevitable that the league star will watch more than five of his team's games from the stands
and exceed the maximum number of absences allowed during his recovery phase.
Embiid misses much of the rest of the season and the Sixers are left clutching their heads.
Photo: AP Photo/D.
Ross Cameron.
Beyond the importance that the injury represents for Embiid himself, those who also
have a headache are the Sixers and their fans
.
The thing is that the team is not going through the best moment to face the rest of the season without his figure: they are in fifth
position in the Eastern Conference
, with a
record of 30-18
, and their performance decreases noticeably without the presence of their pivot.
This was demonstrated last weekend, in the first game after Embiid's injury: defeat against the Nets by a score of 136 to 121 at home.
Adding the NBA Cup games, in the 33 games that the center was present, 26 ended in victory in favor of Philadelphia.
While
in the 13 where he did not participate, the 76ers only won three times
.
Despite not having participated in several games, the difference in hierarchy that the Cameroonian giant brought to his team is reflected in the statistics: during the season he averaged 36 points and 56.5% effective shooting, along with 11.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
Even just a couple of weeks ago, he managed to score no less than 70 points in the same game.
Embiid celebrates the personal milestone of scoring 70 points in a single game.
Photo: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
In this way, if the Sixers aspire to qualify for the play-offs, they will have to find a way to turn the page on their star's injury to once and for all find the formula that will allow them to improve their performance with him off the court. .
"
I try to be the best in the league
," Embiid said prior to his injury.
Now, faced with his imminent loss of the award that positioned him as the top candidate, other players are the ones who are beginning to get excited about making a
splash in the MVP
.
At the same time, they will try to miss as few games as possible so as not to suffer the same fate as the Philadelphia pivot.