NBA analyst says that if Joel Embiid is out for a significant amount of time due to his leg injury, he will not be eligible to win MVP.
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In the Sixers’ first game back from the All-Star break, they faced off against the struggling Washington Wizards. The Philadelphia 76ers’ abysmal luck with injuries continues on into the 2020s as well as their franchise superstar Joel Embiid goes down with an apparent left leg injury.
Their blowout victory over the Wizards would be bittersweet as Joel Embiid was helped off the floor midway through the 3rd quarter after an awkward landing on his left leg. The severity of the injury is currently unknown as Embiid is yet to undergo an MRI, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Joel Embiid went down after suffering an apparent leg injury.
He went back to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/Qd8IqC5Ric
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 13, 2021
The All-NBA big man’s injury brings about a slew of questions, not just for the Sixers, but for the entirety of the NBA as a whole.
Joel Embiid being out for a few weeks could mean he won’t win MVP
After dominating nearly every single matchup in the first half of the season, posting up 30 and 12 on any given night, Embiid’s chances at MVP are waning.
He is currently at the top of the NBA’s MVP leaderboard but if he were to miss a few weeks of play, it could result in him not being eligible to be even considered an MVP candidate.
Missing out on say, merely 3 weeks of play, could mean him not being available to hit the floor for 11-14 games. This, coupled with his absence from games in the first half would lead to ineligibility in MVP consideration.
Embiid’s injury will open the window for several other candidates having stupendous seasons. Players such as LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard, and Luka Doncic all have a shot at being named Most Valuable Player, though this is subject to their team’s standings.