The second round of the 2022-23 NBA playoffs have officially begun, yet there’s still some unfinished business from the regular season that needs to be sorted out, namely, the winner of this season’s MVP award. Tuesday has been announced as the night the winner will be revealed at 7:00 PM ET on TNT ahead of the Game 2 matchup between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat.
The presumed MVP winner
The most likely candidate for this honor is Philadelphia 76ers‘ superstar Joel Embiid who led the entire league in scoring (33.1 ppg). With 46% of the first-place votes confirmed, Embiid holds a strong 141-point lead over Nikola Jokic. The Denver Nuggets superstar and two-time MVP has a long way to catch up, but nothing is certain until the official announcement comes forward.
Should Embiid maintain his lead, the Sixers’ franchise cornerstone is expected to receive the 2022-23 MVP award ahead of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Boston Celtics. A more important question than Embiid’s odds is his potential availability for the upcoming series.
Good news, bad news, worse news
Embiid winning his first MVP award would certainly be considered good news by the Sixers’ franchise and it’s fans. Unfortunately, it’s not without bad and potentially even worse news.
Saturday afternoon, Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers stated that Embiid would likely be doubtful for the series opener against the Boston Celtics. What’s worse is the news that would eventually follow.
According to the Athletic’s Shams Charania, the injury Joel Embiid has been nursing since the first round could potentially be more significant than the previously believed diagnosis of a Grade 1 sprain. The obvious conclusion is then that Embiid has suffered a Grade 2 sprain, or worse if the report is correct.
Much like Embiid’s potential victory in the MVP race, patience should be exercised regarding his injury. Celebrating or mourning too soon will not get anyone anywhere. For the Sixers, the focus must be set on the series at hand and the keys to overcoming the Boston Celtics.
