Joel Embiid blames the NBA and MVP trophy for playoff struggles

Joel Embiid finally got what he wanted. The NBA rewarded his outstanding play for the Philadelphia 76ers by giving him the award he had campaigned for three years straight: the MVP.

Embiid closed out the season on a high note to take down Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and get the trophy. Jokic had beaten him in back-to-back seasons and looked poised to win his third trophy.

However, as happy as Embiid was for finally getting what he wanted, it may have been another case of ‘be careful what you wish for.’ According to Embiid, the timing of the award wasn’t exactly right, and he admits it took a toll on his playoff performance.

Joel Embiid Admits MVP Trophy Was A Distraction In Game Vs. Celtics

“I thought I got into the game and let the game come to me and not force anything, not play off of my emotions; I thought I was fine the whole week,” Embiid said. “I don’t think it affected me, but all this attention, I feel like it can be a distraction, and I just feel like this type of stuff [can] happen in another time. You got that whole week between the regular season and the playoffs, right before the playoffs you can do something like that.”

Embiid Didn’t Like His Performance In Game 4

Embiid may not be at full strength just yet, and he’s definitely not satisfied with his recent performances. Despite putting up 34 points, he struggled to get anything going against Al Horford, and he knows he needs to do better:

“The other day was my first time really going up and down,” Embiid said. “Tonight, playing a lot of minutes kind of got to me towards the end. Got it back in overtime and started being aggressive again. Obviously, had no lift with the brace and all.”

“But you know, we made the plans when we needed them,” added the big man.“P.J., a big and-one offensive rebound. Obviously, the James shot. They made a lot of tough shots all night. I thought we stuck with it. But that’s been us all season long. Just sticking together, fighting through anything — being down five with two minutes left — that’s huge for us. We know we didn’t play our best. And I was terrible tonight. I gotta be better. And I will be better.”

Still, the Sixers managed to even things up and tie the series at two wins a piece, so they should feel pretty good against themselves right now, as they did it with their best player struggling from the field.