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Over the past two years, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has made the leap from All-Star to superstar. Each year, he continues to add to his game and has cemented himself as a top-five player in the league.
His meteoric rise has landed Embiid in the MVP discussion for the second straight season. After falling just short last year, the Sixers big man is once again a frontrunner for the hardware. After a slow start to the campaign, Embiid has been on a dominant stretch over the past two months, as the Sixers slowly climb up the team standings.
Recently, Embiid sat down with ESPN's Malika Andrews to discuss an array of topics. To no surprise, his second-straight MVP campaign came up in conversation. When it comes to his case for winning the award, Embiid said he's letting his play do the talking.
“I want to let the game speak for itself. That's what I've been doing this year. When you look at everything we went through this year, the drama, that was adding a lot to the way we played. Having to take my game to another level, being a better playmaker, and for us to win every single game, I have to be dominant.”
There is no denying Embiid has let his game do the talking. Being the main focal point of the Sixers' offense has created an opportunity for him to show why he is a generational talent. Embiid is posting a career-high in both points (29.6) and assists (4.5) per game.
When discussing the MVP award, narrative is always a key factor. That being said, no candidate has a better story than Embiid this season. His former All-Star teammate Ben Simmons openly refused to take the court, and despite his absence and the cloud hanging over the team, Embiid elevated his game and kept the Sixers on track.
Also, Embiid has missed little time this season outside of health and safety protocols. The number of games missed proved to be a deciding factor in the MVP race last year, and Embiid is not letting that slow him down this time around.
Between his heightened play and compelling narrative, Embiid might have a stronger case this season, especially considering the Sixers are a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference again. The addition of James Harden certainly changes things, but if they continue to climb the ladder, Embiid will likely be a frontrunner for the MVP plum.
The V in MVP is what matters most. Few players in the NBA are as valuable to their team as Embiid is to the Sixers. He does whatever is needed on both sides of the floor to put his team in a position to win. There have been numerous occasions this season when the Sixers came away with a victory simply because Embiid was able to will them there with his phenomenal play.
Since he arrived in the NBA, Embiid has talked frequently about his pursuit of greatness. When he calls it a career, he wants his name among the best to have ever played the sport. Joel Embiid fully understands that to do this, he needs to win and rack up accolades. With the way he's played this season, he just might land the MVP trophy that evaded him last year.
