Several weeks ago, it seemed like the 2020-21 MVP Award was Joel Embiid’s to lose. Now, according to Basketball-Reference, he’s not even a top-10 candidate.
Nikola Jokic, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Rudy Gobert, Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, and Donovan Mitchell are all somehow ranked above Embiid right now, and the funnier part is that several of those candidates also missed a couple of games over injuries.
That’s why the Philadelphia 76ers Twitter account wanted to remind everybody that Embiid should be a legit MVP candidate, posting a hilarious meme right after beating the undermanned Brooklyn Nets.
In the picture, you can see Embiid kind of laughing at Kyrie Irving, throwing shade at those who don’t believe that Joel should lead the race for the award.
Thus far, Embiid has averaged a career-high 29.8 points with 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers per game on 51/38/85 shooting. He’s also going to the line a league-high 11.6 times per game.
It’s also worth noting that the Sixers boast the best record in the Eastern Conference at 38-17 and that Embiid has been – by far – the most dominant big man in the league this season. With him on the court, his team has a 123.0 Offensive Rating and a 103.0 Defensive Rating. Also, the Sixers are 29-8 when he plays this season.
Sadly, the fact that he’s already missed 18 games this season will likely make it impossible for him to take the MVP award away from Nikola Jokic or any of the aforementioned players, but those numbers are testament to how incredibly good he’s been.
The good part is that Embiid is healthy for the most important stretch of the season and even if he doesn’t win this accolade, he can still have the chance to lead the Sixers back to the NBA Finals for the first time in two decades.
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