(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is putting together another dominant season, and he could have a real shot at winning a second straight regular-season MVP award.
However, he had missed the 76ers’ three previous games with a knee ailment, and given his past knee problems, some were concerned he would have to sit out an extended stretch.
But he returned on Monday and scored 41 points as Philly got past the Houston Rockets, 124-115, in a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee.
Some have long criticized Embiid for lacking competitiveness and possibly even “ducking” some marquee opponents, and he responded by saying he cannot control when he is unable to play, per ClutchPoints.
Sixers star Joel Embiid on the narratives about him ducking the best teams in the NBA:
“I saw it. But I can’t control if I get sick… Can’t control if my knee is gonna swell up… As long as I’m ready to be dominant when it gets to that time in April, that’s all I care about.”… pic.twitter.com/FbJUMMscJW
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 15, 2024
The last game he missed was on Friday against the Sacramento Kings, a rising power in the NBA, but even without him, the Sixers won easily, 112-93.
They have shaken off the potential dark cloud that came in the form of the James Harden fiasco to get out to a 25-13 record, which puts them firmly in third place in the Eastern Conference.
With guard Tyrese Maxey emerging as a bona fide star, Philly has enough support around Embiid to make a deep playoff run.
But the negative narrative that still surrounds the big man is the fact that he has underperformed in the playoffs and failed to take his team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
His team appears to need some firepower off the bench, and it is rumored to be looking for that type of help on the trade market.
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