It is officially the end of the regular season as everybody prepares for the NBA playoffs getting set to begin on Saturday.
The Philadelphia 76ers are a team that has a lot of expectations in the postseason thanks to the play of star big man Joel Embiid and the addition of James Harden. Embiid finished up a stellar regular season where he averaged 30.6 points which led the league and he will be in the conversation for MVP and All-NBA First Team.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently put out his ballot and he had Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic on the All-NBA First Team with Embiid on the Second Team. It is possible they can both make the First Team due to their eligibility as both a center and a power forward, but Lowe decided to go with Jokic.
Lowe on his reasoning:
This became pretty easy once I decided against putting both Jokic and Embiid — each eligible at forward and center — on first team. I know, I know. A month ago, I argued for putting Jokic, Embiid, and Antetokounmpo on first team. They will go 1-2-3 in MVP. They have been the three most dominant players, by far.
But I heard counterarguments from across the league — media, coaches, executives. I listened. I was reminded that Embiid and Jokic splitting votes between forward and center could result in one sliding to second team anyway under the league’s arcane accounting system.
I opened my ballot and saw the instruction I had forgotten: Please vote for the player at the position he plays regularly. The queasy feeling from last season — when I slotted Embiid onto second team despite the same dual-eligibility — returned.
In the opinion of Sixers Wire, Embiid should be named the MVP as well as make the All-NBA First Team. Sure, Jokic didn’t have Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. and he had his own historical season, but the Ben Simmons saga should definitely help Embiid’s case considering all of the drama that came with that and the big fella showing up on an every-night basis.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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