The league's investigation into Embiid's absence from the game has sparked a lot of discussion. In the recent Philadelphia 76ers away game against the Denver Nuggets, Embiid temporarily appeared in the injury report, which caused dissatisfaction among the team's head coach and the opposing team. No official findings have been released yet, but we can speculate on some of the reasons for this.
First, 76ers head coach Nurse said Embiid's absence was due to the medical team's decision to rest him 25 minutes before the game started because he had some knee soreness. From this statement, it can be seen that Embiid's injury should not be very serious, otherwise he would not have been on the activation list before the game. This absence is likely to be on the safe side to avoid an aggravated injury.
Second, the Nuggets are one of the highest-altitude home courts in the NBA, and the players may not be comfortable playing in such an environment. For players who already have injury concerns, they are even more reluctant to take the risk of participating in such an intense game. That could also explain why Embiid hasn't been on the Nuggets' home court for more than four years.
But Embiid's absence is not just missing a game, for him, it could also affect his personal accolades and awards. Under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, Embiid must play at least 65 games if he wants to participate in awards such as MVP and Team of the Year this season. This means that if he continues to miss the competition, he may not be able to meet the number of appearances required to compete for these awards.
Coupled with Embiid's excellent performance this season, he averaged 36 points per game and 114 rebounds 5With 8 assists, including a staggering 70 points and 18 rebounds in one game, and the team's long top-three streak in the East, he is highly likely to win the MVP title for the second year in a row. This is also the reason why he was willing to take a huge ** pressure to take turns off, and he wanted to fight again for MVP.
However, the current situation seems to be a bit worrying. If the NBA investigation determines that Embiid deliberately avoided the matchup, he could be banned for five or more games. If the ban goes into effect, Embiid risks losing his MVP title for two consecutive years. As a result, Embiid and the 76ers may be doing something to make up for their previous misses. They announced that Embiid would remain out for games against the Trail Blazers, who are second-to-last in the West, meaning he will miss five more games. One more game, and he will not be able to participate in the selection of MVP-related awards.
Of course, as a commercial league, the NBA doesn't just focus on the performance of players, but also on ticket revenue and fan perception. Embiid's absence from such a key matchup has an obvious impact on the game. Therefore, we should also look at the value of a player objectively, and his value is not only in the MVP, but also in the championship and the FMVP, two more important awards.
In summary, Embiid's sudden absence from the game sparked an investigation by the league, which also affected his chances of winning MVP for the second year in a row. However, we can't just use MVP as the only criterion, but more importantly his health and the team's overall results. Embiid and the 76ers are currently working on this issue, hoping to make up for their previous absence and earn more accolades and awards for themselves. Regardless of their grades, it is important that they maintain a healthy and complete attitude towards themselves as they pursue their goals. As Embiid said, he won't force himself to pursue the MVP unless he really has a chance to get a second MVP.