Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid was an MVP candidate for the past two season. He ended up as a runner-up to Nikola Jokic in both occasions. According to Sixers assistant Dave Joerger, though, Embiid was robbed of the award.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Sixers' preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, Joerger shared why he thinks Embiid should have won MVP over Jokic. The assistant coach is serving as Philly's head coach for the contest with Doc Rivers feeling under the weather.
“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,” Joerger said, per team reporter Lauren Rosen.
While Dave Joerger admitted he's partial since he is coaching Joel Embiid, there is some merit to his statement. The Cameroonian center has been dominant over the past couple of years, and the fact that he has led the Sixers to a Top 4 finish in each of the past two seasons speaks volume on his impact.
True enough, had Embiid won MVP, there won't be any pushback at all since he is equally deserving.
However, looking at the voting alone, there is a reason why Jokic had won MVP in two straight years. He basically carried the Denver Nuggets alone in the absence of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., and they still made it to the playoffs despite missing their two other stars. In terms of value, it's just hard to ignore how important the Serbian has been to the franchise.
Perhaps Embiid will finally get that MVP award this 2022-23. However, we're pretty sure that's not really his focus.
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