Having Joel Embiid healthy for the postseason has to be the Sixers’ priority

SALT LAKE CITY – Joel Embiid’s legacy is tied to the NBA playoffs.

The 76ers center has never advanced beyond the second round. So breaking that barrier is what his No.1 focus should be. Being 100% healthwise in the postseason should be another focus. That’s something he’s also never done before.

Winning the league MVP award, he’s done that. The same with winning back-to-back scoring titles and being a first-team All-NBA selection.

Embiid needs to look at his latest left-knee injury as an opportunity for him to get healthy.

For now, the 7-foot-2, 280-pounder is undergoing further evaluation over the next 24 hours to determine the extent of the injury. Embiid reinjured his knee in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s 119-107 setback to the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

He left the game with 4 minutes, 4 seconds remaining after getting tangled with Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga while going for a loose ball. Embiid grimaced in pain as Kuminga fell on his already sore left knee. He grabbed the knee and rolled onto his stomach before finally making it to his feet and limping into the locker room.

He’s been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

According to the new collective bargaining agreement, players are required to participate in a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for the NBA’s regular-season awards.

Thursday’s matchup will mark the 13th game Embiid will have missed due to injury, ailment, illness, and rest. As a result, he can miss only four of the Sixers’ remaining 35 games after Utah to be eligible to win his second straight MVP.

The good thing is that Embiid was able to walk off the court. If he’s only sidelined a couple of days, Embiid might look at it like, “Hey, let me get through the All-Star break. Then I’ll rehab and come back much healthier after the break and still try to make 65 games.”

But in the long run, rest is the best thing. Embiid needs to think about team success and shaping his legacy.

Let’s face it, the Sixers won’t go far in the postseason unless he’s playing at a high level and healthy.

It doesn’t matter if they’re the Eastern Conference’s first, second, or third seed, they’re not getting out of the second round with him at 60%. They need him at 90 to 100% — no matter what seed they get for the postseason.

It’s a given that the Sixers have to qualify for the playoffs.

» READ MORE: NBA deserves blame for Joel Embiid’s latest injury

But the Sixers would probably rather have Embiid at full strength and be two spots lower than getting a solid seed with him at 50 to 60% for the playoffs.

Moving forward, the Sixers can pick and choose games to rest him even though it’s against league rule.

Yes, Embiid is in the midst of a historic season.

He’s averaging a league-best 35.3 points. Embiid is also seventh in rebounds (11.3), 11th in blocks (1.8), and averages a career-best 5.7 assists. And his 35.3 points are just in 34.0 minutes played.

But none of that will ultimately matter if he fails to lead the Sixers beyond the second round.