- Embiid hasn’t played since Tuesday due to an injury against Golden State
- With this upcoming absence, Embiid’s chances of repeating as MVP are over
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Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will undergo a procedure to help heal a left knee injury, and will miss an “extended period of time.”
With Embiid facing a significant future, his chances of a second straight NBA MVP are now gone as he will miss more than the 17 maximum games allowed to be eligible for postseason awards.
Embiid leads the NBA with 35.3 points per game and hasn’t played since Tuesday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Embiid’s absence from the court was extended, but was officially confirmed by ESPN.
The reigning MVP appeared to injure his knee when Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga landed on it. After screaming in pain on the court, Embiid walked to the locker room under his own power.
Embiid has not been in good health this season and may no longer be eligible for MVP
Embiid averages a league-leading 35.3 points per game when in the 76ers lineup
He had missed Philadelphia’s previous two games due to soreness in that same knee, and has not played in the two games since playing Golden State.
Embiid can only miss three games for the remainder of the regular season and remains eligible for NBA MVP.
If Embiid doesn’t return to the lineup for the 76ers’ game against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, he has zero chance of winning a second straight NBA MVP award.
Against the Warriors, Embiid scored well below his average with 14 points and made only five field goals. He also had seven rebounds, also below his per-game average of 11.3.
If MVP were to fall out of MVP eligibility, more eyes would shift to Luka Doncic, who is already the frontrunner for the award this season with an average of 34.8 points per game.