Joel Embiid's season is one for the ages: What does he need to do to win the MVP?
Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid is in the middle of the best season of his career.
Embiid is averaging a career-high and league-best 33.3 points per game to go along with 10.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. He is doing so while shooting a career-best 53.7%.
Meanwhile, the Sixers (43-22) have the fourth-best record in the league and their second-highest winning percentage (66.2%) since drafting Embiid No. 3 in 2014. Yet, despite all of this, Embiid is not the MVP favorite, begging the question of what more does he need to do to win the MVP?
If the NBA’s Kia MVP Ladder is any indication, it appears that Embiid may need to lead Philly to the best record in the league. In the latest edition, Embiid came in fourth behind fellow superstars Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum.
Those three are the star players of the three teams above Philadelphia in the standings. However, the Sixers are only four games behind Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks (47-18), who sit atop the league. So with 17 games remaining, Philly still have an outside chance of catching up.
Outside of winning games, remaining healthy will remain one of the biggest keys for Embiid’s MVP chances. This comes as he has played 52 of the Sixers’ 65 games so far. This is the same number of games played as Antetokounmpo, but less than both Tatum (61) and Jokic (57).
In an MVP race this close, season-long availability will likely be taken into consideration.
One thing Embiid already has going for him is that he has the narrative of being an elite superstar who has never won MVP before. Both Jokic and Antetokounmpo have won two MVPs in the past. If voter fatigue becomes a factor, Embiid and Tatum will be the primary beneficiaries.
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers’ upcoming schedule
As for the Sixers’ final 17 games, nine will come against teams above .500 or better. Out of those nine games, three will come against Denver (March 27), Milwaukee (April 2) and Boston (April 4).
Joel Embiid will have the opportunity to put up statement games against each of his top competitors for the MVP to end the season. If Philly can knock off all three, it may be just enough to help Embiid inch past Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Tatum in the MVP race.
However, if Joel Embiid is once again snubbed, it may take a deep playoff run to earn the future respect of MVP voters. This comes as the Sixers are yet to advance past the second round of the playoffs in the Embiid era.
Yes, MVP is a regular-season award. But winning when it counts would go a long way in helping Embiid prove just how valuable he really is.
Also read: "I’m still gonna be the best player on the floor" - Joel Embiid gets candid, says playing the likes of Rudy Gobert doesn't motivate him