Individually, it was a brilliant season for Joel Embiid. Although his team, the Philadelphia 76ers, sit discreetly in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, the Cameroonian center averaged 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, making him the favorite to defend his MVP title of the season. But his injury last Tuesday in a game against the Golden State Warriors changed everything. After considering more conservative treatment, Embiid decided to undergo surgery to repair the lateral meniscus tear in his left knee. A circumstance that is radically changing the league, especially with regard to individual awards.
Just two weeks after Embiid reached his career high of 70 points, he missed several games due to knee problems. When he emerged against the Warriors, visibly affected, striker Jonathan Kuminga fell to his knee and all the alarms went off. Medical examinations later confirmed the worst omens.
Without Embiid, the 76ers are not only out of contention for the title, but could even see their playoff participation in jeopardy. Of the 14 games they played without a center this season, they only won four. Philadelphia is currently in fifth place with 30 wins and 18 losses. Although they are still a long way from the tenth-place Atlanta Hawks (with a record of 22-27 they close in last place to qualify by game), the Sixers have virtually no offensive arguments other than point guard Tyrese Maxey, who is with 26.2 points per game has proven to be an outstanding second sword.
Above all, Embiid's injury changes the tough battle for the season's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. A recent change in regulations requires a player to achieve at least 65 games played to receive the award. Even if there are no fixed recovery phases yet, the Cameroonian has still played 34 games and is therefore the new favorite according to the weekly rankings compiled by the league. Once the news is confirmed, Serbian Nikola Jokić is the new favorite to win his third trophy, followed by Canadian point guard Gilgeous-Alexander, the star of the season's revelation team: the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Beyond the present, the center's injury history is concerning, but so is his future. Embiid turns 30 in March and knee problems have been his biggest obstacle since arriving in the league. After Embiid was selected by the Sixers with the third pick in the 2014 draft, it took him two years to debut after a foot injury. He also already suffered from meniscus problems in both knees, and he had to undergo an operation on his left knee (like now) in the 2016/17 season, in which he played 31 games.
Depending on the recovery process, which can take a minimum of four to a maximum of nine months, it is possible that the player will not arrive in optimal condition for the Olympic Games in Paris. In fact, his figure sparked some controversy in the French country after he decided to leave the French team – he has a passport from France, Cameroon and the United States – and instead join the Americans to join LeBron's last dance Join James, Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant in search of gold.
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