Philadelphia 76ers: 5 things to look for down the stretch

5. Is Joel Embiid still the MVP?

For most of this season, Embiid has been one of the frontrunners for the league’s most coveted individual award: Most Valuable Player. He’s clearly one of the most impactful players in the league: the Sixers are amazing when he plays, and absolutely stink when he sits. That they went 7-3 over this most recent stretch without him feels like an anomaly.

That absence is the main factor working against him, especially in a shortened season. Embiid has now missed 18 games on the year, effectively a third of the schedule so far (and exactly one-fourth of the entire slate). Currently he does not even qualify for the league’s rate statistics. Even if he suits up for every game the rest of the season and maintains his superior play from before the injury, other contenders will have a serious edge on him overall.

Embiid’s nightly numbers are still absurd: 29.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from 3-point range and 84.9 percent from the free throw line. Being an offensive fulcrum from an unorthodox position, while maintaining a supreme level of efficiency (64.1 true shooting percentage) and captaining the second-best defense in the league (by defensive rating) is insane stuff. It just doesn’t seem like he’ll have enough cumulatively to win the award.

On the bright side, this gives him a chance to take it easy for the final stretch. Coming back from injury is a delicate act, and with the chances at the individual award dwindling, it’s probably best for Embiid to tune up for the playoffs. A championship is the ultimate goal, and they can’t win one without Embiid.