Missing Embiid
Joel Embiid was obviously far from his normal self against the Warriors the other day. He did get to burn rubber for 30 minutes before exiting with four minutes and change left on the clock, but he was obviously limited in his movements. In his time on the court, he exhibited little of the mobility and speed that hitherto enabled him to pace the National Basketball Association in scoring while likewise anchoring the Sixers’ defense. His stat line supported the eye test; he put up a relatively anemic 14 (on five of 18 shooting from the field), seven, two, and two for a game-worst negative-21 net rating.
Considering Embiid’s importance to the Sixers’ cause, the outcome was hardly a surprise. Notwithstanding the Warriors’ supposed lack of competitiveness, they all but dominated the second half of the encounter to the delight of the 18,064-strong crowd at the Chase Center. Significantly, the reigning league Most Valuable Player’s immediate future is in question. The freak collision with Jonathan Kuminga that hyperextended his left knee figures to keep him sidelined for a while, pending results of a magnetic resonance imaging test and his ensuing convalescence.
Interestingly, Embiid and the Sixers became the subject of a league investigation after he was a late scratch in a road set-to against the Nuggets. Speculation ran rife that he ducked a crucial meeting with fellow superstar Nikola Jokic at the mile-high Ball Arena. Never mind that he didn’t quite look right near the end of his previous start against the Pacers, and that he subsequently failed to suit up versus the Blazers. In any case, the Sixers are now embarrassed owners of a four-match losing streak, with the number likely to rise in the absence of their undisputed leader.
Also in peril is Embiid’s eligibility for end-of-season awards. Prior to his latest injury, he had clearly been even better than when he earned the Michael Jordan Trophy last year. As things stand, he is allowed to miss just five more outings before running afoul of qualification rules. As he himself noted, though, most important is his fitness to steer the Sixers to a deep playoff run. And so it may well be prudent for him to watch his health in the interim. Up in the air, of course, is whether the red, white, and blue can still retain their standing in the highly competitive East while he paces himself. Only time will tell.