The Philadelphia 76ers will hope to be championship contenders this season, with them finally getting an offseason to build the chemistry of their new lineup. James Harden was added to the team in February and was finding his rhythm last season. With him being in shape and Embiid motivated to prove his doubters wrong, the 76ers are looking dangerous.
Embiid has been in the running for the league MVP for the last 2 seasons but has finished as runner-up to Nikola Jokic both times. His coach Dave Joerger believes that Embiid deserved the award in both years, emphasizing that Embiid is a ‘problem’ on the court from his coaching experience.
Dave Joerger on @JoelEmbiid:
“I’m very partial, but I think he should’ve won [MVP] the last two years.
I’ve coached against him as well, and he’s a problem. He’s a big problem.”
— Lauren Rosen (@LaurenMRosen) October 5, 2022
Being a problem is obviously positive right now, as Embiid is a complete two-way center that can give teams a lot of trouble on both sides of the ball. If Joel matches his performances from the last 2 seasons while leading the 76ers to their best record with him there, an MVP should be in his near future.
Is Joel Embiid Likely To Win The 2023 MVP?
This year’s MVP race will be hotly contested among the multiple top stars in the league. The affair is expected to feature mostly international players, as the favorites for the trophy are Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Embiid. Doncic might be the biggest threat to Embiid’s chances.
Embiid’s two-way contributions have been ignored compared to Jokic’s historical offensive seasons, so there’s no reason to expect his defense to be a point of focus when it comes to the MVP award. Embiid has said he is motivated to win DPOY this year, so maybe that is a more tangible goal for the 76ers center.
Ultimately, Embiid does deserve to have an MVP award on his mantle. He will be a string contender all season long, and if the 76ers have a stellar season, he is bound to get that credit.
