Not less than Deion Sanders nonetheless bought the prospect to go to mattress on time.
When the information got here down that the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid was going to overlook yet one more showdown with the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić on Saturday afternoon, with left knee soreness forcing Embiid out mere minutes earlier than tip-off, it prolonged his streak of video games missed within the Mile Excessive Metropolis that started in 2019. It additionally introduced again to reminiscence that second when Sanders, the College of Colorado soccer coach and NFL legend had challenged Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, throughout their Colorado coaching camp dinner almost three months earlier than. As soon as once more, we have been all subjected to the precise type of growth that so many hoops followers had hoped would by no means occur once more.
But once more, Embiid’s well being was getting in the best way of the form of greatness this league has hardly ever seen.
Alongside the best way, the talk about this season’s MVP award grew much more fascinating as a result of the Sixers star is now simply six missed video games away from being disqualified for postseason awards by means of the league’s new participant participation coverage that requires at the very least 65 video games performed (the Sixers have 38 video games left). For the Sixers’ functions, it seems first-year coach Nick Nurse’s preseason plan to compel Embiid to take Jokić head on inside his 5,280-foot elevation residence has failed — for now, at the very least — although the massive males did sq. off final week on TNT for a sport in Philadelphia. Embiid had his means in that matchup, ending with 41 factors, 10 assists and 7 rebounds within the 126-121 win whereas Jokić had 25 factors, 19 rebounds and three assists. The one saving grace on this newest would-be faceoff, contemplating how Sanders had framed this controversial dialog, was that the afternoon tip-off time meant there was no sleep misplaced for Sanders within the course of.
“After we got here up, MJ (Michael Jordan) wished that smoke,” Sanders had mentioned that evening with the Sixers in Colorado, whereas reflecting on his NFL profession as a transcendent star. “He wasn’t ducking whoever was that dude. He was going to get it. That’s the period I got here up with. Now that principal man ain’t guarding the principle man. He don’t need it. He’s (fearful he’s) gonna foul out. And I perceive that. However it’s a bit totally different.”
With Embiid sitting within the heart of the desk immediately in entrance of Sanders, he continued.
“I’ve bought Jerry (Rice),” he mentioned. “Don’t fear about that. I’ve bought this. I’ve bought Mike (Irvin). So it’s a bit totally different. It’s a bit totally different in the present day. There’s numerous people ducking that smoke proper now. They wish to be Tarzan on paper. Don’t promote me the sport and (say) that is what I’m going to get, however once I activate the TV, I don’t get that. I don’t like that. Give me that.
“If Embiid is enjoying the Joker, I wish to see Embiid versus the Joker, all proper? I wish to see that. And he goes and will get it, proper? I find it irresistible. I like the matchup, however I wish to see it. That’s what I wish to see. That’s why I stayed up. I wish to see that. I didn’t wait for no person else to be on the Joker. I ain’t bought time for that. I’ll flip to BET and watch the BET Awards.”
Sadly for Sanders, the BET Awards aren’t till June.
So, I’ll ask my colleagues Sam Vecenie and Mike Vorkunov: With Nuggets followers having poured salt on this wound by chanting “The place’s Embiid at?” throughout Denver’s 111-105 win Saturday, how will we see this case? On the one hand, Embiid’s well being standing could turn into fully legit. In spite of everything, he missed three video games in early January with this very ailment.
Then again — and that is the half the NBA will probably take concern with — he wasn’t listed on the Sixers’ damage report heading into the sport, and the group might be topic to league self-discipline because of this. At minimal, it’s truthful to acknowledge this was like a heavyweight boxing match the place one fighter doesn’t present up. There was a shock issue due to the timing of all of it, with the information breaking mere minutes earlier than tip-off started. And contemplating Embiid and Jokić are each on the short-list of MVP candidates this season, there are probably ramifications on that entrance as nicely.
Vecenie: The purpose in regards to the league workplace right here is essential right here, Sam. This sort of absence is the precise sort the NBA has been attempting to get out of the sport with the enforcement of its participant participation coverage this season. This was a nationally televised sport. The league additionally has been fairly clear that there must be a stability between highway and residential video games missed with a said choice towards lacking extra residence video games than highway video games. To this point, 9 of the 11 video games Embiid has missed this season have been on the highway.
If I have been a Denver fan who had purchased tickets to see this heavyweight showdown between the 2 greatest gamers within the league during the last three common seasons, I’d be exceptionally annoyed. It could be one factor if the 76ers had him on the damage report and had been clear there was an opportunity Embiid would miss the sport. Nevertheless, they even had a staff official verify to ESPN that Embiid wouldn’t be on the damage report about 24 hours forward of the sport. The league ought to effective the 76ers for this one.
Accidents occur. Gamers of Embiid’s measurement typically get up and really feel like they don’t have the juice that day. I don’t, in any means, form or kind, imply to query whether or not Embiid wasn’t 100% proper. Moreover, the 76ers have quite a bit to play for proper now. They’re within the midst of a playoff race the place issues are tight on the high of the Jap Convention past Boston. They’re two video games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 2 seed, and solely a sport and a half forward of Cleveland for the No. 5 seed. A possible drop to that stage would outcome within the 76ers not having home-court benefit of their first playoff collection. On high of that, Denver and Philadelphia entered this sport in a digital tie within the standings with a .674 profitable proportion. If these two groups have been to make the NBA Finals, this sport would have an outsized leverage through which groups would get home-court benefit for that collection.
Having mentioned all that, it’s additionally a bit tough for me to consider Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris additionally lacking this sport wasn’t at the very least a slight think about Embiid sitting. Going to play at elevation, with out an All-Star level guard and a terrific wing, put the 76ers far behind the eight-ball in selecting up a win even when Embiid did play. If he awoke feeling perhaps 80 %, and he had these guys going into the sport, it’s rather more winnable. With out them, it might have taken a Herculean sport by Embiid. As a substitute, we bought a Herculean efficiency by Paul Reed, who had 30 factors and 13 rebounds, in attempting to maintain the 76ers within the sport.
Earlier than we get the MVP race of all of it, it’s value emphasizing once more that this sucks for the followers. To mainly have a no-show when there was no indication forward of time is the form of stuff I believe performs an actual function in disconnecting followers from the league. It’s why the participant participation coverage has been as efficient and helpful because it’s been this season.
I don’t know that I completely agree with connecting awards to it, however I’m glad the league applied the coverage. The place do you guys stand on the thought of awards being tied it?
Vorkunov: Nicely, I assume let’s get to the MVP race of all of it, as a result of that could be what was impacted most by this.
This places Embiid trending within the flawed route within the MVP race for just a few causes. One is that the MVP award, like different awards, is as a lot a story award as a substantive one. I don’t have a vote, so I can’t communicate to my very own earlier voting selections, however it’s form of clear how subjective this all is. Will voters penalize Embiid? I wouldn’t assume so since they didn’t final 12 months. He missed the sport this weekend as a result of there was one thing flawed bodily, and that shouldn’t be used in opposition to him.
The larger downside for Embiid is that it strikes him nearer to not even being eligible for the award anyway. He could find yourself lacking too many video games — i.e. greater than 17. Embiid, nonetheless, did miss 12 of the 76ers’ first 46 video games final season and nonetheless performed in 66 video games for the season, so this isn’t a foregone conclusion.
It’s ironic that Embiid is in peril of dropping eligibility as a result of he’s having a greater season this 12 months than final and is MVP front-runner (on this fictitious poll). I used to be in Philadelphia the opposite evening when he scored 70 in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs, and that was a tremendous feat; it will likely be this nice lasting reminiscence of his season.
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokić battled final week in Philadelphia. (Invoice Streicher / USA In the present day)
To your query of the brand new awards/video games performed coverage, I don’t hate it. I’m not saying I find it irresistible — I’m typically pro-chaos — however I get it. The NBA negotiated for its company pursuits over its basketball pursuits. However it form of formalized one thing that was more likely to occur anyway. If Embiid have been to play 63 video games this season, would he win the MVP award? Sooner or later, you miss too many video games to make a profitable case. Each marginal sport missed within the MVP race simply issues a lot extra and compounds. It’s a slippery slope, however the NBA determined to place the wall up themselves (I don’t assume these two metaphors battle). I believe the larger influence can be on All-NBA groups, the place voters have traditionally given gamers extra slack for lacking numerous video games. My considering is that, even when Embiid finally ends up enjoying like 65 or 66 video games, his case could be tougher to make as a result of his competitors might need ended enjoying extra video games than him than traditional. It simply turns into tougher to vote for a very dominant participant who performed a lot lower than others.
I believe the particular person whom I’d like to listen to from is Amick. He has the MVP vote. Sam, how do you are feeling as a voter having the choice taken away from you on how you can worth gamers within the awards races in the event that they miss a major variety of video games?
Amick: Right here’s the loopy half, Mike. I had spent the times heading into this sport pondering this very query and listening to a few of my media colleagues who protested this rule within the wake of Embiid’s current 70-point outburst in opposition to San Antonio. The logic, which was admittedly making an influence in my thought course of, was that he had been enjoying at such an unbelievable stage that this allegedly-unjust rule was going to maintain him from getting the popularity he so clearly deserved.
Prefer it or not, this newest sport confirms why the league wished to put in this type of system within the first place. On nights like Saturday, when the mainstream viewers is happy to see the form of matchup that makes the NBA advertising people salivate, the presumed hope was that this coverage would possibly compel gamers like Embiid to make their determination about enjoying for the sake of the followers who pay their payments. Clearly, it’s not fairly that straightforward.
However once you see one thing like this, with a participant of Embiid’s caliber not enjoying when the stakes are this excessive and the circumstances are this suspect, it’s arduous to not really feel just like the coverage is true on level. If you happen to can’t discover a option to play 79.2 % of your regular-season video games, then it’s totally truthful to disqualify you from awards rivalry within the course of.
Vecenie: I believe that’s all affordable, Sam, I’d simply slightly voters be left in control of making that alternative.
If the voters assume the distinction between Embiid enjoying 62 video games and, as an example, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enjoying 75 video games is so huge that it’s value voting for one over the opposite, I’m good with that decision-making course of. For example, Taylor Snarr’s EPM-based Estimated Wins Added mannequin solely has Embiid fourth within the league proper now even though he’s at present posting the most effective EPM within the final decade. That’s one measure of the ability of the video games he’s missed.
Having mentioned that, Embiid is on an unprecedented tear this season. He’s averaging 51 factors per 100 possessions. That’s the most effective mark in NBA historical past, and it’s not all that shut. The following-best mark is James Harden in 2018-19, when he averaged almost three full factors fewer per 100 possessions. Embiid is averaging greater than eight factors per 100 possessions greater than the Twentieth-best season in league historical past. That’s staggering. On high of it, I’d even have him on an All-Protection staff proper now with how he’s carrying the 76ers to a top-five mark on that finish. Per PBPStats.com, the Sixers are giving up fewer than 112 factors per 100 possessions when Embiid is on the market. It could be arduous for me to look previous his dominance when he’s really out on the courtroom.
However I don’t have a vote and wouldn’t really feel superior about having one on condition that this coverage and NBA awards are tied to participant contracts. My actual concern with the coverage as an entire is that I believe it promotes gamers attempting to play after they aren’t 100% for monetary acquire. We simply noticed Tyrese Haliburton attempt to return from a hamstring damage this previous week, solely to play one sport prior to now lacking the following 4 after it didn’t reply nicely. Haliburton is extra incentivized than any participant within the league proper now to get again, as an All-NBA look for him this season would set off the supermax language in his contract, seeing him make a further $41 million over the following 5 years.
I don’t know that Embiid would see issues fairly the identical means on condition that he simply gained MVP, however he definitely can be motivated to see it that means. There are simply vital flaws within the design of the method that I can’t get behind. And whereas your reply could be that disassociating awards from participant contracts can be fixing the unique sin right here, the NBA went into this offseason understanding it had simply agreed to proceed that follow throughout the new collective bargaining settlement.
I’m simply not satisfied awards eligibility has anyplace within the participant participation coverage, though I’d respect it if a voter simply thought Jokić or Gilgeous-Alexander introduced extra worth to their staff this season.
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(Picture of Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokić: Isaiah J. Downing / USA In the present day)
