SUMMARY
- Joel Embiid has been suffering with a knee ailment over the last couple of weeks.
- The Sixers have played without Embiid for a couple of games, losing all of them while dropping to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
It comes as no surprise that Joel Embiid has been receiving a lot of criticism lately. This season, the 2023 NBA’s Most Valuable Player has been trying his best to recapture the title. The Philadelphia 76ers have also shown a lot of grit this season. They ranked amongst the top three teams in the Eastern Conference for a while. However, things have slowed down a bit due to injuries that the center has been facing over the last couple of weeks.
Denver let Joel Embiid hear it after he emerged from the locker room for the first time 😅 pic.twitter.com/PDrRVw8QKu
— ESPN (@espn) January 28, 2024
If you have not noticed yet, Embiid has been in and out of the Sixers’ lineup constantly due to various ailments. Right now, the center has been dealing with a knee injury that has caused a lot of drama within the organization. Recently, the Sixers played against the Denver Nuggets, which resulted in a loss. While he was initially available for the game, the Sixers ruled him out just 15 minutes before tip-off. This is an automatic violation of certain injury-related guidelines which could result in a hefty penalty fee.
Joel Embiid has missed 13 games this season
So far, Joel Embiid has missed 13 games this season. Without him, the Sixers have achieved a losing record, 4-9 and counting. While averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game, Joel has emerged as their biggest scoring asset. Now, he is the frontrunner to win the MVP once again besides Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Nikola Jokic really about to win the MVP because Embiid is injured 😵💫
Joel Embiid is down in serious pain. Hope he is OK. 🙏#joelembiid #NBA pic.twitter.com/3PT9n7ifqi— Moment of NBA (@AlyciaK70226) January 31, 2024
As per the updated Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NBA requires players to participate in a minimum of 65 games to qualify for regular-season accolades and contract bonuses. This means that Embiid has only 17 games to spare in total. Out of which 13 have already been taken away. Embiid is left with four more games before he gets excluded from the MVP race.
Joel Embiid might be playing through injuries to avoid public scrutiny
Recently, NBA reporter Sam Amick claimed that Joel Embiid has been playing through injuries just because of the negative criticism that has come his way. He said, “Embiid, who missed Philadelphia’s game at Portland on Monday night, looked like a player who pushed himself to play against Golden State because the whole basketball world was screaming in his ear. There are people within the Sixers who are convinced that he played only because of all the scrutiny.”
Joel Embiid was playing with a partial LCL tear to defend his reputation from the unemployed trolls on this app. pic.twitter.com/8lGJOTrBFu https://t.co/GDM98BEzHz
— CBain (@cbain100) January 31, 2024
After missing three consecutive games, Embiid returned against the Warriors on January 30, 2024. He only finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in 30 minutes. He certainly wasn’t himself on the court and it didn’t seem like he was comfortable either. Several other league sources also believe that Embiid is performing under the pressure of the public.