Joel Embiid is one of the best big men in the entire NBA, although, over the course of the last few weeks, he has dealt with a pretty bad COVID-19 case. The Philadelphia 76ers superstar felt like he was going to die, and in the end, he had to miss quite a bit of time due to conditioning. Now, Embiid is back in the lineup, although he has certainly struggled at times when it comes to playing an entire game.
Last night, Embiid scored 13 points in a loss against the Celtics, and while he did have 18 rebounds, it's clear that he wasn't at his best. After the game, Embiid told Tim Bontemps of ESPN that he still isn't 100 percent right now and that it might take him a few more weeks before his cardio is back to where it used to be.
"I would never use it as an excuse, but obviously I think it's going to take me a while to get back, especially legs and cardio and all that stuff," Embiid said. "I can't be playing the way I've played these last two games, especially when it comes to shotmaking. If teams are going to double me and I'm not going to get easy baskets, I have to create for myself and my teammates, and I've got to make those shots."
Various players throughout the league have spoken at length about their experiences with COVID, and Embiid is one of the more prominent ones to do so. Hopefully, the long-lasting effects of the virus go away soon, as Embiid is a treasure to the league.
