Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has again found himself in the middle of the MVP conversation as the award for the 2022-23 season is once again coming down to him and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
The two of them will face off on Monday in the Mile High City for the final time. Embiid had a dominant performance in a Sixers win back on Jan. 28 when he had 47 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists. If he can have a similar performance on Monday, the MVP award will likely be his since he’s already the frontrunner.
However, Embiid is dealing with calf tightness. He hasn’t missed any games, but the Sixers have played in a lot of games in a short window of time as of late and he has his focus on being ready for the playoffs. The focus is on winning a championship and not on the MVP award.
Embiid told Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer:
“It’s all about the playoffs,” the MVP frontrunner said. “Being in the MVP race, I told you, I don’t care. If I win, good. If I don’t, it’s whatever. That’s not where my focus is.”
After a down night, by his lofty standards, in a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, Embiid is averaging 33.3 points and 10.2 rebounds on the season. With now eight games to go, the Sixers want to be sure their leader is ready for when the games matter the most in mid-April.
[lawrence-related id=77477,77480,77474]