Nikola Jokic may be the winner of two straight MVP awards, but Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is currently on track to win his first.
In what has been a highly impressive season for Embiid so far, he has carried the 76ers on both ends of the floor, especially over the last couple of games without James Harden in the lineup, who is set to miss a few more weeks at the very least/
On Sunday, Embiid went off for one of the best individual performances in basketball history in a win over the Jazz.
Now, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is making it known that Embiid, at least on paper, is the best in his position.
“As a talent, [Joel Embiid] is the best big man in the game. In terms of his talent, I’d even put him over Jokic. The brother is sensational. The problem is his durability is a question mark and think he’s been less than awe-inspiring. The Philadelphia 76ers are a .500 team at 7-7. Let me tell you, they have to do something. better than this when you have a talent like Embiid.”
"As a talent, [Joel Embiid] is the best big man in the game. … In terms of his talent, I'd even put him over Jokić."
—@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/MrPutsnlE0
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 14, 2022
Joel Embiid Focused On Bringing A Championship To The 76ers
Unlike many of his peers, EMbiid actually has a lot of playoff experience. Throughout the years, he has made several playoff runs, though each one has fallen short of the ultimate prize.
This season, even counting their rough start, Embiid’s only goal is to bring his team to the promised land.
SIMPLY BREAKING THROUGH to the East finals — a feat the 76ers haven’t accomplished in more than 20 years — means nothing to Embiid.
“The whole notion of getting to the first round, second round, conference finals, Finals, that don’t matter,” Embiid said. “If you don’t win it all, it doesn’t matter why you lost. It probably makes it even worse … you feel like you just frickin’ wasted time.
“‘Congrats, you made it to the conference finals. Congrats, you made it to the Finals.’ Did you win anything? Nope.”
Embiid is the type of star that teams build their future around, and that’s exactly what the Sixers have done with Embiid. The only problem is, they can’t stay healthy.
If the 76ers ever do get right, though, they could be a team to fear in the East.
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