NBA Analyst's Joel Embiid Claim Completely Misses the Mark

It’s hard to win when a star player is missing.

For Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s a constant factor. It’s well known that he has an injury history. He came into the league with an injury. As a matter of fact, at that time the 76ers were known for drafting an injured player. Prior to Embiid, there were Jahlil Okafor and Markelle Fultz.

Fultz has bounced around the NBA while Okafor was last seen playing overseas. These two don’t hold a candle to Embiid’s impact on the team. Max Kellerman spoke on Game Over and feels that Embiid has no trade value. He added that his injury history makes it impossible for the 76ers or any team for that matter to have a chance at winning.  

The only response one should have to this is "Why trade him?"

No one has been as dominant at the center position as Embiid since Dwight Howard. One could make an argument he’s the best center in the league today. If Embiid was a hindrance when he was on the court, then you would still be having a similar problem for different reasons.

But this is a former MVP we're talking about.  When Embiid is on the court, there’s no question that he makes a difference.  If his injury history is such a problem, wouldn’t it make sense to trade him away well before they renewed his contract? It doesn’t do any team any good to keep a player that has no availability. 

The other point about how he could be a hindrance to a team can be heavily debated. How can a guy who can get you 25 points and 10 rebounds a night be a hindrance? The 76ers have proven that he can be a leader for a team.

Kellerman makes the point that this means giving up draft capital. There are plenty of teams who have so much draft capital they're bound to use it in trades. In the era of time management, it’s not necessary for a player to play 70-80 games a year. Many players don’t really care about the awards, so using the excuse that they won’t win a season award doesn’t matter here.

This season could be seen as Embiid’s redemption year. He’s in the best shape of his career and doesn’t have to be depended on as much. This year’s team has massive expectations; the additions of All-Stars mean that they need Embiid now more than ever.  In a season where the threshold is championship or bust, there will be a rejuvenated Embiid who will potentially regain his MVP form.

No matter how you look at it, Embiid’s never going to be a trade piece, nor will he ever be considered damaged goods, as his presence is a problem no matter where he goes.