Sixers' Joel Embiid Tumbles From Top Spot in NBA's MVP Watch

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has had better weeks. After missing the 2021 NBA All-Star game due to COVID-19 contact tracing two weekends ago, the big man was forced into a seven-day quarantine.

Last Thursday, the Sixers returned to the court to start the second half of the 2021 NBA season, and they did it without Embiid. The following night, Embiid returned to the lineup after wrapping up quarantine and testing negative for COVID-19.

In his first matchup back against the Washington Wizards, Embiid was expected to have some rust to shake off as he hadn't played in over a week at that point. However, the All-Star big man picked up right where he left off.

During his 20-minute timeframe on the floor against the Wizards, Embiid aggressively led the Sixers with a 23-point effort as they destroyed Washington. Embiid's dominance eventually came with a price to pay, though.

Midway through the third quarter, Embiid successfully attempted a monster dunk. As he landed after throwing it down, though, he tweaked his knee. What originally looked like an injury that could keep Embiid off the floor for a long time turned out to be a bone bruise after an MRI revealed no structural damage.

Hearing that Embiid is only expected to miss two-to-three weeks was a positive sign for the Sixers, who need the big man healthy for playoffs. Unfortunately, the forced time off is already harming Embiid's MVP campaign.

Heading into the All-Star break, Embiid was viewed as the NBA's MVP frontrunner for the season he's been having. Being off the court for over a week now, Embiid already sees his stock plummet. Two weeks ago, Embiid was at the top of the NBA's Kia MVP Ladder. At this point, he's already dropped down to the fourth spot after missing three-straight games.

"It’s been a week since Embiid suffered a tough break on a nasty dunk in a win over the Washington Wizards, and it’s estimated the All-Star big man could be out for the next two to three weeks due to a bone bruise in his left knee. Embiid is also a front-runner to win the 2021 Kia Defensive Player of the Year Award, but colleague Steve Aschburner makes a salient point here in pondering how the expected absence could negatively affect his candidacy for both awards." - Michael C. Wright

LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Nikola Jokic are all now in front of Philly's big man on the ladder. Availability is everything in the NBA. A player can be extremely talented, but if they aren't consistently available to their team, it's difficult to accept them as the league's most valuable.

Missing a game here and there wasn't going to hurt Embiid too much, but missing a chunk of seven or so games is definitely a red flag for the selection committee.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.