Joel Embiid is one of the best players in the league, and there is no doubt that he is a two-way force when healthy. Even though he was injured for a large portion of the playoffs, he still put up 23.6 PPG, 10.7 RPG, and 2.1 APG.
During the regular season, Joel Embiid was absolutely dominant. He finished the regular season averaging 30.6 PPG and won the scoring title for the 2021-22 season. Many believed that Joel Embiid should have been the MVP this season as well, with Stephen Jackson notably claiming that the Philadelphia star got “f***ed” when it comes to MVP voting:
“Some kind of way we’ve got to get a hold of this voting s**t, man. Jokic is great, better than I ever was. I ain’t taking nothing from him, but he is not a back-to-back MVP just like Steve Nash wasn’t a back-to-back MVP.
These are just facts, man. Its other players having great years — career years — whose teams have a chance to win the championship. And if you know the game, you know Denver did not have a chance to win the championship. That’s just speaking facts, not taking nothing from him. Just the facts, bro. All these people that never made a basket or got a rebound voting, living their dreams through a keyboard and messing up the game and affecting people’s careers. I got an idea; the Top-75, why don’t you let them vote? The Top-75 players of all time, let them vote for the MVP every year. It’s that simple. Stop letting these people vote, who are living their dreams through a keyboard and never had a chance to take a shot, get a rebound, or a charge. For real, this s**t is crazy. Joel Embiid, you got f***ed.”
Recently, reporter Anna Orso revealed that the Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution that named Joel Embiid the “MVP”. Obviously, Joel Embiid wasn’t an MVP in the sense that we would think of. Instead, the acronym stood for “Most Valuable Philadelphian”. There is no doubt that Joel Embiid has a deep connection to the city of Philadelphia, and this is a fantastic gesture from the city towards him:
Philly City Council just passed a resolution that names Joel Embiid our MVP – "Most Valuable Philadelphian"
— Anna Orso (@anna_orso) May 19, 2022
Philly City Council just passed a resolution that names Joel Embiid our MVP – “Most Valuable Philadelphian”
While this happening must definitely feel nice for Joel Embiid, hopefully, he is able to win a league MVP in the future. Based on his talent, it is entirely possible, even with all of the other rising stars in the NBA.
The Philadelphia 76ers have failed to get past the second round during Joel Embiid’s tenure, and perhaps that changes next season. There is no doubt that the team’s roster needs some improvement, and we’ll see if Daryl Morey is able to build a championship-level squad this offseason.
