Why the NBA’s new player-participation rule could affect Joel Embiid’s MVP bid

Joel Embiid is scheduled to play in his second consecutive game Friday night when the 76ers entertain the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center. This comes after the reigning MVP missed the previous four with a sprained right ankle.

Because of those misses, the NBA’s new player-participation policy could apply to Embiid.

According to the new collective bargaining agreement, players are required to participate in a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for the NBA’s regular-season awards — including MVP. As a result, Embiid can miss only 10 of the Sixers’ remaining games to be eligible to win his second straight MVP.

“I guess I’m thinking, geez, he just missed four for a really legitimate injury,” coach Nick Nurse said. “It’s not like there’s been a whole lot of really thinking about when he’s gonna play, when he isn’t. Our stance, I think [Sixers VP of athlete care Simon Rice’s] stance, I think Joel’s stance, is he’s gonna play. He’s gonna play.”

» READ MORE: The Sixers are far from proven right now. But they just might end up the East’s second-best team.

Friday’s game was the first of contests on back-to-back nights. The Sixers will entertain the Utah Jazz at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Afterward, the team is off until facing the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 10 at State Farm Arena.

Foot surgeries completely wiped out Embiid’s first two seasons. When he returned for Season 3 (2016-17), Embiid missed 51 games because of season-ending knee surgery. He was sidelined for an average of 18.3 games over the next six seasons.

“It would be unfortunate if the legitimate injury thing caught up to him for some reason,” Nurse said. “We’re going to play him if he’s available, and I don’t think we’ll have to worry about the rule. It’s just gonna be legitimate injuries or not.”

Right now, Embiid is the MVP frontrunner.

The 7-foot-2, 280-pound center entered Friday averaging a league-best 34.8 points. He was fifth in rebounding (11.8) and 10th in blocks (2.0). In addition, he averaged a career-best 6.2 assists.

Embiid had scored at least 30 points in his last 15 games. In doing so, he joined James Harden (2018-19), Kobe Bryant (2002-03), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971-72), and Wilt Chamberlain (1963-64) as the last five players to accomplish that feat.

Embiid is second among Eastern Conference vote-getters in the first returns, while his teammate, Tyrese Maxey, is fifth among conference guards.

Fans account for 50% of the vote to determine the 10 starters for the NBA All-Star Game, which will be played Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. A media panel and current NBA players will each account for 25% of the vote. The voters must pick two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference on their ballots.

Fan voting will continue through Jan. 20. TNT will reveal the All-Star Game starters on Jan. 25. The All-Star reserves will be selected by the coaches.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid third behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James in NBA All-Star fan voting

Embiid is close to being a lock to garner his seventh consecutive All-Star bid. There’s some uncertainty surrounding Maxey. But Nurse believes his point guard deserves to make his first All-Star team.

Maxey, in his fourth NBA season, is averaging career-highs of 25.9 points and 6.4 assists. He scored a career-high 50 points against the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 12. Maxey also scored 42 points against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 29. And his overall play is a major reason why the Sixers are in third place in the Eastern Conference.

“He’s making a great case,” Nurse said. “I think everybody’s certainly seen yet another big step up for him. For me, I put a lot of stock in where your team is in the standings, right? I know a lot of people talk about that, right? For me, that’s like way up there. Start at the top and you start looking at who’s impacting the teams that are winning big-time, right?”

Despite having one of the league’s best rebounders in Embiid, the Sixers ranked 13th in the league in team rebounding.

“You have to help your brother out,” Kelly Oubre Jr. said. “We had [Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond in the last two games], and he’s one of the best rebounders ever. So it’s not necessarily one person’s job to block him out. You need a whole team. If your guy is getting back on offense and defense, you have to go in there and help your brother who is boxing out at the end of the paint.”

In addition to helping out, the Sixers realize they have to be active and in the right spot.