The Philadelphia 76ers now have four regular season games under their belt and sit at a record of 2-2. There is a lot that can be taken away from their performance thus far, but one growing storyline involves the team's franchise cornerstone.
After coming off a dominant season that almost netted him the MVP award, Joel Embiid has entered 2021 determined to lead the Sixers on a journey to an NBA championship. Since he joined the organization back in 2014, the All-Star center has regularly spoken about bringing a title to the city of Philadelphia.
The thing about chasing an NBA title is that it's a marathon, not a sprint. Even in the early days of the regular season, every decision must be made with the long view in mind.
Joel Embiid has battled the injury bug his entire career, and unfortunately, it has reared its ugly head again. After banging knees with Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas in the season opener, Embiid has battled knee soreness.
Despite the discomfort, Embiid has continued to be there on the court for his team. He has still managed to play at a high level at times, but it was clear in the Sixers matchup against the Knicks the big man is not 100% physically. Not only did his body language appear out of sorts, but he shot just 2-7 from the floor in the game.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne was on NBA Today Wednesday afternoon and reported Embiid might be in more pain than he is letting on.
.@ramonashelburne on Joel Embiid playing through injuries (via NBA Today).
"He told me after this game in New Orleans, he couldn't walk for two days." 😳
(via NBA Today) pic.twitter.com/yuq6fdbfDN
— ESPN (@espn) October 27, 2021
Embiid should be applauded for his efforts of not wanting to leave his teammates hanging, but there's a chance it is doing more harm than good. If he continues to push his limits early in the year, it might result in him not being 100% when his elite-level talents will be needed most, the postseason.
There are multiple reasons why Embiid might want to remain on the court. The biggest being Ben Simmons, who has still not joined the team in games. With one All-Star already on the sidelines, Embiid could feel obligated to be on the floor to carry the load in his absence.
Accolades and awards might be another factor in his decision-making. If not for games missed, Embiid is arguably the MVP of the league last season. Falling just short of an achievement like that because of games missed has to still sit in the back of his mind.
If he can muster the strength to play a high number of games, there will be nothing standing in his way of being rewarded for his superstar abilities. Not to mention end the narrative of him being an injury-prone superstar.
The 76ers find themselves between a rock and a hard place in this situation, but they need to play the long game. Having Embiid tough it out in the early weeks of the season could drastically affect their chances of being the last team standing come playoffs. If they want any shot at contending for a title, they will need Embiid at 100%.
Daryl Morey has done a fine job filling the Sixers' roster with talent. Even without Embiid, the collective group is still good enough to compete with teams on any given night.
No matter what the severity of the injury might be on a day-to-day basis, the 76ers need to tread lightly when handling their superstar center.
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