The NBA MVP race features some familiar names this season, but Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are once again leading the race with half of the season in the books. And while the debate on who is better will always be up for debate former Warriors GM Bob Myers offered his own take on the subject and made a pick between the two superstar big men.
“Game 7 in the NBA Finals right now and we each got to pick a center, I’m taking Embiid first… I love Jokic, but Embiid is the most physically dominant player in the NBA right now,” said Myers. “He’s the guy where opponents look at each other and go ‘what do we do with this guy?’ Jokic does it with physical skills and cerebral skills but Embiid is one of the smartest players in the NBA and what he’s doing is just dominance… to the point where you cannot stop him.”
As the man who built the Warriors dynasty, Bob Myers knows greatness when he sees it, and he sees something special with Embiid this season. As the reigning NBA MVP, it’s no surprise that Joel is on another tear but he’s on a scoring pace this season that could go down in the NBA history books.
Embiid Is On Fire
Joel Embiid was absolutely fantastic last season, and it’s why he was voted to win his first-ever MVP award. Capturing the trophy over Nikola Jokic, Joel validated his claim as the best big man in basketball and set a new standard for what we can expect from him on the court. This season, he’s somehow been even better and he’s having the best scoring season in league history. This season, in 33 games, Embiid is averaging a whopping 36.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game on 53.9% shooting. He, along with Tyrese Maxey, has elevated the 76ers to contender stats this season, even despite the departure of James Harden.
In short, it’s been a record-setting season for Joel Embiid and the finest stretch of his career by far. As good as Jokic has been over the past few years, Embiid is on another level right now and nobody in the league can stop what he’s doing. Unfortunately for the Cameroon superstar, he has yet to play like this in the NBA playoffs and it’s the most glaring flaw in his resume so far.
A Lot To Prove In Philadelphia
Joel Embiid has been among the best players in the league for a while now and there’s no reason to think that will change anytime soon. For Joel, the big thing for him is breaking the cycle of losing that has defined his career so far. To date, the big fella has never made the Eastern Conference Finals, and every attempt to get there has been overshadowed by losing, lackluster play, and massive disappointment.
Even if Embiid does win the MVP this season, the pressure will be on for him to go on a big playoff run and finally deliver on bringing a championship to Philadelphia. With Nick Nurse in charge now, the confidence is higher than ever that the 76ers can have a breakthrough but it will ultimately fall on Joel Embiid to carry the 76ers to a respectable place in the NBA postseason.
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