76ers’ Joel Embiid Felt he Could Reach Another Gear Before Injury

Through the first half of the season, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid looked well on his way to a second MVP award. However, everything change when he suffered a knee injury against the Golden State Warriors. 

Before going down, Embiid was in the midst of one of a historic offensive season. Among his most notable performances was when he erupted for 70 points in a win over the San Antonio Spurs. In the 34 games he's played in thus far, the reigning MVP is averaging 35.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 5.7 APG. 

While he continues to rehab his injury, Embiid spoke to the media at practice on Thursday. During his media availability, the Sixers star shared that he felt his game could have improved even more before getting hurt. Embiid cited that he felt he wasn't where he wanted to be at physically. 

"I was on a roll and I felt like I wasn't even close to where I wanted to be. Body wise and basketball wise," Embiid told reporters. "I wasn't at my best and I felt like there was still another level that I could go to." 

Seeing that Embiid was already the league's most dominant force at the time, these remarks are eye-popping. His play this season had him in the same conversations with historic centers like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal. Who knows what kind of performances Embiid could have delivered if he was able to continue playing. 

At the moment, there is still no set timetable on an Embiid return. However, the Sixers big man said Thursday he is still hopeful to return to action this season.