While any Sixers fan will tell you that Embiid has been one of if not the most valuable player in the NBA since making his debut in 2016. His accolades have not reflected the same results. Sixers fans on social media will tell that Embiid is the best center in the NBA over the likes of Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic. Yet Embiid has never made the 1st team All NBA. He has made the 2nd team 3 times (2018, 2019, 2021). These are also the same years that he made the 2nd All-NBA Defensive team, losing out to Rudy Gobert. Of course, we all know in this year’s MVP vote Embiid once again finished 2nd to Jokic. Yet, I believe this is the year that he finally gets over the hump and gets 1st team all NBA and wins the MVP.
Lets, start the argument off that the MVP is a moving trophy, Even if you put up the same numbers as the year before the NBA and its fans get bored of greatness somehow and look over to another player for the award. Trust me if the MVP qualifications were the same every year then Lebron would be a 15 time MVP winner. I mean go look at Giannis’ numbers this year compared to the previous two years he won the MVP. They’re almost identical, but since the Greek Freak won the MVP already twice the NBA and its fans decided to give the award to a different player. The next player to me is Joel Embiid.
Embiid in 2020 was having a historic season. At one point he was going to be the first center since Moses Malone to average 30 points per game did in the 1981-1982 season. I still can’t believe Shaq never achieved that. Embiid and Jokic were the first centers to put up a PER of over 30 since Shaq with a 30.6 PER in the 2000-2001 season. That’s how good Embiid was and that’s how insane Jokic needed to be to win that MVP from Embiid. The point is that unless Jokic puts up another historic season then Embiid should be on the “next person” agenda for the MVP since it will be almost impossible for Jokic to replicate that season’s statistics.
Most fans will say you have to be the top team in your conference to win the MVP and recent history has proven that to not be true. Over the last 10 seasons, only 6 of the MVPs were first in their conference. This means that the Sixers will not have to have the best record in the eastern conference once again for Embiid to win the MVP.
Then there is the best argument which is that if you play on a super team then it hurts your chances of winning the MVP. On the Nets KD, Harden and Kyrie should cancel each other out. Lakers- Lebron, AD, and Russ will cancel each other out. The NBA has already passed the trophy away from Giannis, and my guess is Jokic as I stated before will not be able to repeat his last season’s statistics. This leads me to believe there are two candidates that could derail Embiid from winning the MVP trophy. That is the Baby Faced Assasin out in the Bay area. Stephen Curry, and Luka Doncic. Currently, Embiid is a +700 to win MVP only behind Doncic.
Unless one of the amazing younger players takes that insane next step like a Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, or Zion Williamson, there is no reason for me not to believe that Embiid has a very good chance of winning the MVP trophy this season.
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