There were several incredible individual performances around the NBA during the 2021-22 season, and each of them deserves a great deal of recognition. The NBA has gradually announced its postseason awards, with the most notable award finally being leaked on Monday morning. Many voters had publicly announced their votes for Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, so it was no surprise to see Woj's official announcement that Joker had secured his second straight MVP over other deserving candidates in Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It was another terrific season by Jokic. The Serbian big man averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists during the regular season. He tallied 19 triple-doubles this season and climbed to seventh all-time in this category. He ranked in the top 10 in the NBA in points, rebounds, and assists per game. Jokic also led the NBA in PER, Win Shares per 48 minutes, and Box Plus/Minus. The Denver Nuggets' system is built entirely around him, and the production of the center was by far the biggest reason for their 48-34 record without Jamal Murray all season and Michael Porter Jr. for most of the season.

While the success of Jokic is worth celebrating, it was a tight race for MVP this season. As great as the European performed, the voters failed to properly reward Joel Embiid for his own ridiculous season.

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Why Joel Embiid got robbed of MVP by Nikola Jokic

Offensive Dominance

Since coming to the NBA, Joel Embiid has continually added layers to his offensive game. This was put on full display this season as the 7-footer showcased his eye-popping scoring ability. Embiid led the NBA in scoring this season with 30.6 points per game. He became the first center to win the scoring title since Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-2000 and the first-ever international player to win the award.

Embiid led the NBA in 40-point, 10-rebound performances with 13 this season. With no proven point guard on the roster to start the season, Embiid embraced the challenge and created off the dribble in a way that he had not previously shown capable. The Kansas product was the Sixers' leading scorer in 56 of the 68 games he was active for this season. Even despite being double- and triple-teamed so often, Embiid still found a way to produce. This impressive offensive output was necessary to the Sixers' success and was a large reason for their 51-31 record.

Game-Changing Defense

While he deserves a ton of credit for his offense, the production on that side of the ball often overshadows his All-NBA-level defense. Embiid serves as the anchor of the Sixers' defense and is their most important player on this side of the ball as well. He averaged 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals and altered countless other shots. Opponents shot just 39.4% in the paint this season and 40.6% from the mid-range when guarded by Joel Embiid.

His primary role defensively is the protect the rim, but Embiid also possesses the unique ability to stick with smaller players. His ability to move his feet and get low allows the 28-year-old to defend on the perimeter at a very high level. It is incredibly rare for a player of Embiid's size to be able to stick with much quicker players, but he is able to do it on a consistent basis:

While there are some advanced stats that improve Jokic's defensive resume, it is clear to any viewer there is a great margin of difference between the two big men. Jokic was controversially subbed out of the final play of Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs for defensive reasons. With the Nuggets in need of a defensive stop, they subbed out the league MVP due to their belief they had a better chance to get the stop with him off the floor.

This would never happen with Joel Embiid.

Ben Simmons Situation

It feels like such a long time ago that Ben Simmons refused to return to the 76ers. Following the Sixers' collapse to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs last season, tensions were high. Simmons took some major heat for his poor play in the series and decided it was best to find a new location to continue his NBA career. The next few months were spent with Daryl Morey and Rich Paul playing a public game of chicken until both sides were able to reach a solution.

Even amid all this drama, Joel Embiid was able to keep his head down and continue producing. Despite what a massive hole in the roster that Ben Simmons left, Embiid put more pressure on himself and kept the team afloat. The Sixers ended the season with a 6-8 record without Embiid on the floor and a 45-23 record with him in the lineup.

The addition of James Harden seems to discredit this from a voter's perspective. While Harden undoubtedly has been a positive addition to the team, the trade likely is never even possible without Embiid's strong play. The success of the Sixers and the need for a ball handler combined with the frustrations in Brooklyn made Philadelphia a desirable landing spot for Harden. The ceiling of the team has increased since his arrival, but this does not change the impressive effort from Embiid beforehand.

Throughout his eight seasons with the Sixers, Embiid has been through a lot. He has fought through career-threatening injuries, various management issues, unique injuries to teammates, and became the face of one of the most controversial eras of sports history. Embiid has come a long way from the young kid who could be seen jogging through Center City in the middle of the night or dunking on random guys at the local park. Embiid has single-handedly made The Process worth the wait and developed into a generational talent beyond what most ever could have predicted.

The elite performance from Joel Embiid in 2021-22 deserves to go down in history, and it is a shame there is not an MVP trophy to show this.