Joel Embiid Believes He is Still the Rookie of the Year

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid believes he is the most deserving player of the Rookie of the Year award this season.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, if he can stay healthy, may have one of the brightest futures in the NBA. The 7-foot-2 center out of Kansas and Cameroon finally was healthy enough to make his debut this season after two straight seasons of sitting out due to a foot injury.

His debut was full of question marks, as fans were unsure whether or not he would need much time to adjust to the game after not playing competitive or professional basketball in over two years. Embiid, although rusty and still needing to learn parts of the game, needed no time to make his presence known.

From the very first week of the NBA season, Embiid solidified himself as the runaway Rookie of the Year favorite. No one was even in the same league as Embiid when it came to the rookie class from this season. Nearing the All-Star break, it was clear something drastic would have to happen to knock him out of that race.

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Something drastic, indeed, and after Embiid suffered a bone bruise after playing 30 games, he was sat for some time. He played one game against the Houston Rockets on national television despite not being at full strength, and after that game, was sat for the rest of the season. The team would eventually — not on their own, the news was reported by beat writer Derek Bodner first — reveal that Embiid had a meniscus tear. Just recently, Embiid had surgery to repair it.

So, after that point, the Rookie of the Year race was up in the air. Had Embiid done enough and created enough space in the race to be further along by the time the clock ran out than any of the other players? Or would someone kick it up and catch Embiid?

Only time will tell how the voters feel, but in an interview with ESPN, Embiid revealed how he feels about the matter.

"“I mean, no disrespect to other guys. Dario [Saric] is my teammate and my friend, and I love him. And I know Malcolm [Brogdon] from when I was visiting schools. When I made my visit to Virginia, he took me around. They both had great seasons.”“I know people are saying about me, ‘Oh, he only played 31 games.’ But look at what I did in those 31 games — averaging the amount of points I did in just 25 minutes.” “I’m not sure why people want to punish me for that. Even going back to the All-Star Game. I didn’t get chosen for that, and people were killing me because I didn’t play 30 minutes a game. But here’s what I don’t understand: If I put up those numbers in less time than another guy, what’s the difference? Doesn’t it mean I did more in less time? Wait until I play as many minutes as those guys, then you will see what I do.”"

Embiid mentioned Dario Saric and Malcolm Brogdon. Both very good players, but if Embiid had stayed healthy and kept playing at the level he was playing at, there is no way either or them even come close to him.

Embiid has a case. He did a lot in his 31 games, and did a lot in his 25 minutes. It was incredibly disappointing to see him snubbed from the All-Star game, and seeing him miss out on the end of this season and be unable to make his case as the season closed for an award he deserves really stinks.

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This award, unfortunately, is based on what people remember, and we as humans have poor memories. Because of this, the vote will likely come down to Brogdon and Saric, because that’s what people remember, and that’s what people saw in the final games. Had Embiid played his 31 games in the last leg of the season rather than the first one, then this story may go a little differently.