Even without Ben Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers are just 1.5 games back from the top seed in the East.
As Joel Embiid, 27, continues to strengthen his case for MVP, the Sixers find themselves on pace with some of the Conference’s most elite teams.
While Embiid’s chances of actually winning the MVP are unclear, his teammate Danny Green is doing his part to push the narrative.
“I’ve played with some talented guys, and I never thought they were the MVP head and shoulders above everybody else. But last year, for sure, I thought if he didn’t get hurt. This year, he said he had a slow night, he had 36 [points]. I think he’s making the right plays. He’s trusting his teammates, which opens up the floor over the game for him…For a guy to have 36 [points] on a slow night, it just shows you what he’s capable of,” Green shared.
Through 38 games, the All-Star big man is averaging a career-high 29.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game on 49% shooting.
“Over the last 15 years it’s been unclear to me what the definition of the ‘Most Valuable Player’ is,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “There’s some coocoos like Charles [Barkley] and Kenny [Smith] that say, ‘oh, this team has a better record, so this guy is MVP.’ I always thought the MVP was a singular award, which means you are the baddest guy in the league, and the baddest guy in the league right now is Joel Embiid, but there are other six players, so hopefully the media doesn’t penalize Embiid and goes with another guy who’s close and whose team has a better record…”
Embiid’s play has almost singlehandedly brought Philly into a state of contention. Even as all the drama plays out behind the scenes, he is playing the best basketball of his career.
But perhaps the more interesting matter is what Embiid will pull off in the postseason. If he manages to get his team deep into the playoffs, it could prove to be even more rewarding than an MVP trophy.
Either way, the 4x All-Star, and 3x All-Defensive Player, has a lot of work cut out for him.
