Sports can be grueling, to say the least. Not just physically but mentally as well. When one is playing the A-game, no brows are raised. But once a player gets out of shape it is bound to let all guns go blazing. Ahead of the NBA season, Doncic’s being out of shape has been an issue of concern for many. But as it turns out Joel Embiid is under the scanner too!

In their latest reactions to the NBA athletes’ performances and how the previous season has panned out, the Gil’s Arena crew was out with their classic analysis again. From discussing the Knicks’ recent recruit Mikal Bridges to the ratings release of NBA 2K’s top 10 players where Nikola Jokic bagged the spot at 97 as the best player on the virtual court, they had a lot to comment on. Jokic even surpassed LeBron and Curry who shared the spot at 95. But the highlight was Gil speaking openly about the “Real MVP” Embiid’s being “out of shape” which ended up bringing attention to Jokic.

According to Gil, Jokic’s highest spot would not have gone well with Embiid, “The only person who should be mad here is probably Embiid. You know what I mean! His game is like he should be the four 97s. We shouldn’t pretend that he was not the Real MVP last year until he got hurt so if he never got hurt, he would have been the best no 1 right? They would have been tied.

He was referring to the Philadelphia 76ers center’s knee injury that led him to miss the court action for eight weeks. “You still give him his 97 because coming into the season he’s probably going to be the favorite to be MVP. Let’s not pretend that either.”

Gilbert dropped the bombshell when he talked about Embiid’s being out of shape, “Well, last year he wasn’t even in shape. If he gets in shape he can still be a 35. He can pass more and if he’s in shape he can run around a little bit more. Play a little bit faster. He can still average a 35.” Does the Gil analysis hold its ground?

The classic Joel vs Jokic: Who is the Real MVP?

If we believe Gil’s version of the truth, it is solely Joel’s not being in shape alongside his knee injury that pushed Jokic to 97. For Embiid the injury had left him pretty distraught as he later confessed, “For some reason this injury was just … It was disappointing. It was depressing. It took me a while to get over it, and I still haven’t gotten over it. So just got to take it day by day, look at the positive.” It certainly cost him that elusive chance of defending his last season’s MVP title. He even missed out on making it to the All-NBA or All-Defensive teams.

After Embiid’s average performance at the Paris Olympics, Charles Barkley had also commented on his fitness.”I hope this is a wake-up for Joel, this Olympic experience. He has not played well, and I’m hoping he’s like, ‘Yo man, I got to get in better shape.’ I think that’s one of the reasons he’s always injured.” 

However, given his injury recovery, this might seem to be a bit of a stretch. Embiid’s average of 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the 433 regular-season games and his 7 All-Star games, makes him a force to reckon with.

As a 3 X MVP, Nikola Jokic has the record of being the second player to lodge 2,000 points, 900 rebounds, and 600 assists in an NBA season. He complements his 284 lb with his 6 ft 11 inches impressive height and the Serbian has worked hard to gain momentum steadily. The super size might be an added advantage but it doesn’t ensure an MVP. And the Serb knows this. Averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists, Jokic’s 97 doesn’t sound surprising.

The Joel vs Jokic clash will be worth the wait as Joel comes off his injury recovery. But one thing can’t be denied: going in and out of shape can be tricky to handle but it’s the ultimate bounce back that matters. That makes one the Real MVP!