For the remainder of the season, Embiid may only miss seven games in order to be considered for the award.
In order for Joel Embiid to be considered for MVP this season, he cannot miss more than seven of the Sixers’ remaining 43 games. Embiid has only appeared in 29 of the Sixers’ 39 games this season due to a string of injuries. Embiid must play in 65 games, though, in order to be eligible for every major award because of load management regulations that were put in place during the offseason. This implies that in order for Embiid to be eligible for the award, which he is presently leading, he needs to participate in at least 36 of the team’s remaining games.
To be prepared for the postseason is the aim. After the Sixers defeated Houston on January 15, Embii told reporters, “If I can’t meet the criteria of 65 games… as long as I’m ready to be dominant in that time in April, that’s all I care about.” The NBA instituted the 65-game regulation in an attempt to reduce the number of big-game players who missed games as a result of “load management”. The league recently produced a report as part of ongoing attempts to address load management, and it showed that the approach did not, in fact, reduce the risk of long-term injuries.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Joel Embiid (#21) reacts during the fourth quarter of a game against the Denver Nuggets at the Wells Fargo Center on January 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.
In the meantime, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to lead the public vote in the last round of NBA All-Star Game fan voting. As of this writing, Giannis was the only player to have received more than four million votes total. LeBron, with 3.93 million, wasn’t far behind, though. With 3.72 million voters, Embiid is the player who is closest to four million.
After this weekend’s voting, the All-Star starting lineup will be revealed on January 25. LeBron, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, and Steph Curry would start in the West if current trends continue. Giannis, Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Trae Young would begin in the East meanwhile. The actual All-Star Game is held in Indianapolis on February 18.
