Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has been toward the top of the MVP conversation all season long as he is putting up some robust numbers while throwing the team on his back.
Despite the previous Ben Simmons saga, the injuries the Sixers have suffered, all of the COVID issues earlier in the season, and now trying to integrate James Harden, Embiid has had his team steady and at the top of the East. He’s averaging 29.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while making sure the Sixers are winning games and that is why he is a front-runner to win the MVP award.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other worthy candidates. Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo can win the award as well, but one league executive told HoopsHype that Embiid is the clear 2021-22 MVP winner:
“For the second straight year, Joel has played at an elite, MVP-level,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. “He continues to put up Wilt Chamberlain-like numbers and has emerged as one of the most versatile big men this league has ever seen. He impacts the game on both ends of the floor like few in this game can. To me, there’s no doubt he is the 2021-22 NBA MVP.”
Embiid and the Sixers will still have to win some games and move up in the standings in order to truly cement his case to win the award, but there is no doubt that the big fella is in the conversation. He has been terrific all season long and he has taken so many steps forward. It will be interesting to see how all of this goes down over the final weeks of the season.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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