The Philadelphia 76ers will go as far as Joel Embiid will take them in the playoffs.
There might not be another player in the NBA more vital to a team than Embiid is to Philadelphia.
Embiid, who was the third overall pick by the 76ers in 2014, missed two months of the regular season with a torn meniscus in his left knee that required surgery.
Philadelphia was 31-8 with Embiid in the lineup and 16-27 without him this season.
He was back in the lineup on April 2 and played a key role in Philadelphia’s late run to the playoffs, finishing the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Embiid finished the season averaging 34.7 points and 11 rebounds in just 39 games.
In the Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Wednesday night, Embiid scored 23 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and had the assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. on a go-ahead three-point play to help Philadelphia to a 105-104 victory over the Miami Heat
That win set up a showdown with the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Embiid might not be 100 percent physically, but he still can dictate the flow of a game. He is the reigning NBA MVP and a three-time member of the league’s All-Defensive Team. Embiid is a seven-time All-Star and was the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2017.
This was the first year in his career where Embiid had to deal with a significant injury. He admitted that it was a challenge watching the game from the bench while he recovered from the surgery.
Now, Embiid is back on the court and the Sixers are suddenly one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs and have the talent to make a deep run.
It also provides Embiid another opportunity to showcase his skills to a wider audience.
With his MVP trophy, Embiid is also becoming one of the NBA’s most marketable players. He recently signed an endorsement deal with Skechers to become the face of the company’s basketball division. He is the third NBA player to sign a deal with Skecher, along with Julius Randle (New York Knicks) and Terance Mann (Los Angeles Clippers).
This offseason, Embiid officially declared his intention to represent the United States and join Team USA for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Embiid has three citizenships and was also eligible to play for Cameroon and France, but he chose the nation where he played college ball at Kansas, and is now in the NBA. Team USA was assigned to Group 3 in the Olympics and will open against Serbia on July 28 in Lille, France.
