"I need Embiid to have a playoff moment he is yet to have" - Nick Wright claims the 76ers superstar is yet to dethrone LeBron James and KD as the best player in the NBA
NBA and Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world right now and is among the leading candidates for this season's MVP award.
However, on Fox Sports' morning show First Things First, sports media personality Nick Wright spoke about how the Sixers star cannot be considered better than superstars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant just yet. Wright said:
"If you want to dethrone LeBron or KD if you're Embiid unless one of them greatly deteriorates, I need him to have a playoff moment he is yet to have."
Wright believes that Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the league right now and that James and Durant are a notch below The Greek Freak, with Embiid yet to break into that bracket. This is a bold claim from Nick Wright as many believe the Philadelphia 76ers superstar is the favorite to win the MVP award at the moment.
Is Joel Embiid the favorite for the NBA MVP award right now?
Widely considered to be the best big man in basketball alongside Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid has been playing like a man possessed this season for the Philadelphia 76ers. With fellow superstar teammate Ben Simmons away from the team for a multitude of reasons, the onus has been on Embiid to deliver the goods for the franchise and that's exactly what he has done.
He is currently averaging 29.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 blocks this season while shooting the ball at over 49% from the field and nearly 36% from beyond the arc. He has recorded one triple-double and 22 double-doubles this season for the Sixers.
Joel Embiid in 2022:
31.6 minutes per game
33.4 points per game
You read that right, Joel is averaging more points than minutes. https://t.co/1RghJ9emA1
The big man has been an offensive juggernaut for the Sixers this season and their entire offense runs through him. Health has always been a question mark for the center, though, with him missing 12 games this season in which Philly has lost eight, underlying his importance to the team.
Joel Embiid has scored at least 25 points in 16 straight games, the 2nd-longest streak in 76ers franchise history.
Allen Iverson had a 27-game streak in 2001. https://t.co/RmYgoafjNS
The Cameroonian is also one of the best defensive players in the league who has the ability to go and guard the perimeter as well when needed, thereby almost taking away the opposition's ability to space the floor. He is an excellent rim protector and, as aforementioned, is averaging 1.4 blocks and has six games this season where he has recorded three or more blocks.
That said, the MVP conversation includes the likes of Embiid with Jokić and Antetokounmpo. The Sixers' superstar has a legitimate shot at winning the prestigious award, especially with the way his team has climbed up the standings in the Eastern Conference.