Source: Michael Reaves / Getty
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia’s Most Valuable Philadelphian, had a successful yet unfortunate 2021-22 campaign in the NBA.
The 76ers All-Star center finished second in NBA’s MVP voting for the season, losing to Denver’s Nikola Jokic for the second year in a row. Even despite having a stellar regular season, taking the scoring title averaging 30.6 points (career high), 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists (career high), 1.1 steals (career high), and 1.5 blocks in 33.8 minutes per game. Joel led the NBA in 30-point games with 40 such performances while leading the sixers to a 51-31 record in 68 games of play. The matter of the fact is that he still lost, but he didn’t let the MVP loss affect him in the playoffs.
Before the Sixers were bounced in the second round of playoffs by the Miami Heat, Embiid was averaging 23.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 48.4% shooting in 10 games played. His missed two pivotal games against the Heat after suffering a right orbital fracture and concussion in the last minutes of Game 6 against the Toronto Raptors. It was apparent that Embiid also played through a torn ligament in his right thumb during that series. What the public didn’t know until yesterday is that he was also playing through a left index finger injury.
After the Game 5 loss of the Heat series, Joel felt like he was in a “lose-lose situation”.
It’s just about pain tolerance. This is a lose-lose situation for me. If I don’t play, I probably get called soft. If I play and I play bad, probably come up with a bunch of stuff that’s, I guess he’s just not good enough.
So it’s all about, trying to stay, not get too high or too low, just going out there and really try to dig very deep and try to do whatever I can.
If I say that I’m feeling a certain way, it’s probably looked at as excuses. If I don’t say anything, it’s probably looked [at] as, well, he must be fine. I don’t have an answer.
Y’all know what’s going on, I’m really just pushing through it.
On Memorial Day, Joel Embiid finally had a successful surgery on both of his finger injuries.
Although it is expected for neither injury to affect Joel Embiid’s availabilty during training camp, Sixers fans should still be weary of their big man’s health.
Especially when the playoffs arrive, considering Embiid’s lengthy injury prone history.
