The Philadelphia 76ers have made annual road trips to Denver for quite some time, but their best player, Joel Embiid, hasn’t suited up for a highly anticipated matchup with fellow perennial MVP contender Nikola Jokic since 2019.
Knee soreness was the culprit that caused Embiid to sit for Saturday’s highly anticipated showdown.
Tough scene for the NBA, who wanted to gas up this thing called “Rivals Week” with an ABC tripleheader, only to watch whatever “rivalry” there is between Embiid and Jokic go up in smoke for what should’ve been a head-to-head duel.
Guess fans will have to settle for Jamal Murray and Tyrese Maxey starting some sh*t on the court. Oh, wait. Maxey is sitting as well. Bummer dude.
Exhibit One Million in the problems with the modern NBA.
Look, I get that Embiid has the most red flag injury history amongst current superstars and that he just hung 70 on the Pacers’ heads this Monday. He had two full days’ rest between that contest and the Sixers’ next game, a loss at Indiana. Embiid played 31 minutes and put up 31 points in that one. Seemed just fine. It’s a long trip from Indy to Denver, but Embiid should’ve had ample time to recover.
It’s just kinda weird that a pasty, unathletic-looking guy like Jokic can handle the altitude in the Mile High City and be so durable, yet every time Embiid’s squad visits, he sits for any variety of reasons. I’m not saying Embiid is ducking Jokic. He wasn’t afraid to hold court with him in Philly.
I’m merely passing along how others are reacting — including the fans in attendance, an ex-NBA big man, and another former player who’s calling the damn game!
…Don’t shoot the messenger.
Speaking of awards, Jokic won league MVP the two years before Embiid finally broke through last season. Although Embiid is having his best overall year to date, new NBA rules designed to thwart load management have his campaign for back-to-back MVPs on the precipice of collapse.
Embiid has already missed 11 of a possible 44 games counting tonight. When you can’t suit up for 25% of the nights you’re paid to play, that’s not the best sign. Then again, maybe Embiid doesn’t care about another MVP. I don’t think he should give it nearly as much weight as making a legit push for the NBA Finals, which he’s literally never done.
That’s right. Joel Embiid has never even made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. We’re looking at someone in the midst of one of the best seasons a big man has ever had, averaging 36 points per game. Some people have the audacity to question LeBron James’ greatness. He made it to eight NBA Finals in a row, and 10 overall. How can someone as great as Embiid not even make it to the round before that even one time?
I hope Joel Embiid shuts all the haters up with a championship. Hard for him to go from a 70-piece to watching Luka Doncic best him with 73 mere days later, followed by this latest, last-minute injury plot twist.
It’d be great for the NBA and great for basketball if Embiid and his teammates hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy when all is said and done. But on the road there, could he at least give it a go against Jokic in Denver? Might not hurt to get some reps in there. Let’s face it, the road to a Sixers title most likely runs through the Nuggets.
