Joel Embiid's injury problems impact more than just the Philadelphia 76ers' success when the lights shine brightest.
It has also led to a significant dent in his individual resume, partially due to the requirement of appearing in at least 65 games for major awards, like MVP. Retired NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas believes this has led to an unfair impact on his career, further claiming Embiid regularly dominates fellow top center Nikola Jokic.
"He lost his MVP because of a rule. He's not going to be put into history fairly," Arenas shared on a recent episode of his podcast. "He's probably the best player in the league, him and Jokic are fighting for who is No. 1. I don't think his legacy is going to mirror that—that he was this dominant, like when you're talking about them two battling each other. Embiid has beat this man's [expletive]."
Embiid was undoubtedly the league's top player in his limited appearances last season, as he averaged 34.7 points on 52.9% shooting. Fans in the comments are arguing, however, it should not be considered a major challenge for the 30-year-old to play in 65 games or more.
"Yeah, he played 58 games [but] his 58 games is more powerful than his 82, thats why we voting for him," Arenas argued. "If I say Embiid is MVP last year and he only played 39 [games], somebody would've voted [for him]. They would've been like, 'Yeah, that's still MVP.'"
Although the rule was implemented less than a year ago, it is already one of the NBA's most controversial.
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