Joel Embiid is having the best season of his career thanks in large part to his greater durability. The 76ers pivot averages 33 minutes per game this season – the second longest of his career – and has played 31 of Philadelphia’s 38 games, with many of those absences either as a precaution or due to NBA health and safety protocols.
Embiid faces a possible absence of two to three weeks with a deep bone bruise on his left knee, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports. An MRI on his knee did not show any structural damage, which means that the ACL and the meniscus are doing well. Considering that many feared that he had suffered what could have been a significant injury, there is a relief within the organization that it is not much worse, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The move came in the third quarter of the Philadelphia game against the Washington Wizards on Friday. Embiid went up to bury and landed awkwardly, apparently hyperextending his left knee. He left the ground on his own, but limped significantly and did not return to the game.
Embiid is currently the favorite to win the MVP award, and his 76ers occupy the No. 1 position in the Eastern Conference. Both things can be harmed if Embiid is missing more than three weeks, however. The 76ers have a 2-5 record in games that Embiid lost this season, a trend that has existed throughout his career. There is no set amount of games that any MVP candidate needs to play, but as LeBron James and Nikola Jokic have barely lost any, Embiid will need to return quickly if he wants to maintain his favorite status.
But more importantly, the hopes of the Philadelphia championship depend almost entirely on Embiid’s health. Their season could end functionally if he missed a good part of the season. This move seemed to be little more than an unlucky case, but given his injury history, any small adjustment is dangerous for Embiid.