Joel Embiid will have quite a load to carry on Wednesday when the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Phoenix Suns. The Sixers will be without Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris due to respective injuries, so Embiid will need to be in MVP form if he hopes to lead his team to victory against the mighty Suns.

Ben Simmons is reportedly suffering from a non-COVID-19 illness while Harris is dealing with soreness in his right knee (h/t Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer):

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Embiid was also actually a doubt to suit up against the Suns, with the 7-foot big man still recovering from the left knee injury that recently kept him on the sidelines for several weeks. He seems fine though, and perhaps the absence of Simmons and Harris (and Seth Curry, too who has been tagged as out with a hip problem) served as motivation for the Sixers and Embiid to play on Wednesday.

With Philly missing its other stars, Embiid will get all the minutes he can handle in a tough test against the Suns, who themselves currently sit at the second spot in the West. Phoenix has proven to be one of the best teams in the NBA this season and the same can be said about the Sixers. We should be in store for a great matchup between two sides gunning for the first seed in their respective conferences.

For Embiid, it will be an opportunity to prove just how valuable he is for the Sixers as he looks to solidify his case for this year's MVP title.