For the first few months of the season, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was building a strong case to win his third straight MVP before Joel Embiid’s ascension changed the entire conversation.
As the season continued, and Embiid kept raising his level of play, voters could no longer ignore what he was doing in Philadelphia and he eventually became the frontrunner to win the award before the All-Star break in February. By the end f the season, his MVP case was undeniable, with averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game on 54% shooting. Today, his MVP win became official, and the two-time runner-up has officially etched his name in history by taking home his first MVP trophy.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid has won the 2022-23 NBA MVP award. pic.twitter.com/c4Pq4Ggy4a
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 2, 2023
Most fans were happy to see Embiid finally get rewarded for all his hard work, but his current injury has made things complicated for the 76ers, who are trying to stay alive until their MVP can return to the court.
I used to pray for times like this.
— Marlo Stanfield (@BooRxdley) May 2, 2023
— guleid (@riddle245) May 2, 2023
deserved.
— Cooyah (@Cooyah) May 2, 2023
Of course, many fans still believe Nikola Jokic should have won the award, and that crowd made sure to let everyone know who the “real” MVP actually is…
Only one TRUE MVP and he showed it last night pic.twitter.com/LOKO9MiMQs
— MAX BETS KING (@LordSportsPicks) May 2, 2023
Embiid & the 76ers after losing yet another playoff series to the Celtics: pic.twitter.com/095caSgSzO
— Celtics Lead (@CelticsLead) May 2, 2023
Not deserved Jokic should’ve won
— sol 🇦🇺 (@thaboysol) May 2, 2023
There’s no going back to change the votes now, so Jokic fans will have to live with the MVP results this year. But for Embiid (and Jokic), it’s no secret that they’d both prefer to win the title over the MVP anyway.
Can Embiid Lead The Sixers To A Championship?
It’s hard to say if the 76ers can pull off a series win over Boston if the health of Joel Embiid is compromised, but if James Harden can bring it as he did for Game 1, it could be enough to flip the series in their favor.
After winning Game 1 on Monday, Philly is in a position to move up 2-0 heading back to Philadelphia and it could put Embiid in a position to put the Celtics away when he eventually returns to the lineup.
“This is the series that we’ve all been waiting for all year,” said PJ Tucker said to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “And for us to not know if he’s gonna play, yeah, that sucks because we’ve run everything through him. So it’s almost like we have to figure out another way to play because the way we [want to] play, we are not going to be able to play.”
If the Sixers can win another game or two with Embiid out, it will do a lot to show us how serious they are as contenders in the East. Because, as we’ve seen time and time again this year, star power alone does not win titles.
To reach the heights of success this year, Embiid will need help from the entire supporting cast.
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