NBA: Embiid undergoes surgery, out for a few weeks

Philadelphia fans are now waiting with bated breath for the response to Joel Embiid’s left knee surgery. After an exciting first part of the season for the 76ers and their leader, Embiid’s injury becomes a real boulder for the hopes of a team that seemed to be able to play its cards in the Eastern Conference. The news that last season’s MVP will have to undergo surgery to resolve the meniscus problem in his left knee changes the outlook on several fronts. First of all regarding Philadelphia’s ambitions which naturally involve the possibility of being able to count on their centre. A true diagnosis on recovery times can only be made once the operation is completed and even if cautious optimism filters through from Philly, Embiid could return in 6-8 weeks, therefore before the end of the regular season, everything will depend on the type of injury suffered to Embiid’s knee. a player unfortunately prone to physical problems.

NO ENRAS

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The curtain finally falls on a potential “repeat” of the MVP award for the player who is currently averaging 35.3 points and who is the clear favorite in the race for the honor already won last season. The new rule of 65 games to be played to be eligible for NBA awards leaves Embiid no chance but in reality even without the rule just created by Adam Silver to try to put a stop to “load management”, such a long absence would still have taken away any hope for Joel Embiid given that voters, however, historically do not take into consideration for the “awards” players who miss a significant part of the season. The response to Embiid’s knee surgery will also weigh on the 76ers’ strategies before the trade deadline (Thursday) with Philadelphia who seemed intent on acting on the market to strengthen a squad that is still decidedly competitive. In fact, without Embiid’s contribution, the 76ers would not be able to harbor real ambitions, so sacrificing some assets to make the team more competitive in the coming months would become useless. A disaster, therefore, for the Philadelphia leadership. With Embiid out of the picture now the favorite in the race for the MVP award, at least according to the Las Vegas bookmakers, Nikola Jokic is back to being the one who after the title won in June is producing another applause season, with the Thunder phenomenon Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ready to exploit an empty pass from the Serbian. A real disappointment for Embiid and for the 76ers fans who can now only cross their fingers and hope to receive comforting news from the surgery which will be carried out in the next few days.