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For the second-straight season, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid finds himself in the discussion for the Most Valuable Player award. After a somewhat slow start to the year, the All-Star center has been on a tear since January. Even with the addition of James Harden to the Sixers lineup, Embiid continues to post monster stat lines on a nightly basis.
If not for being sidelined for an extended period last season, Embiid arguably would have won the award. Despite coming off a career year, he still managed to take his game to new heights. Currently, Embiid is averaging a career-high in points (29.7) and assists (4.3) per game.
As the regular season slowly winds down, the debates for seasonal awards are becoming a daily occurrence. Similar to last year, the main frontrunners are Embiid and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Following the Sixers' win over the Chicago Bulls earlier this week, Embiid was asked about Jokic and the MVP race. He was quick to praise the reigning MVP and even admitted to checking in on some of his games. Most notably, Embiid cited he is happy to see the resurgence of the big man around the NBA.
“He's an amazing player. He's a monster. I saw what he was able to do last night. I was watching the game actually, like I'm always watching every game. What he is able to do on the basketball floor, it's crazy. From big man to big man, I'm happy that when you look at who is dominating the league and really who the best players are, it's really all big men. Whether it's Giannis, Jokic, KD is not a big, but he's seven feet,” said the Sixers center.
As we know, the NBA has become a global game over the years. With each passing season, we see a growing number of international talents make a name for themself in the league. Being from overseas himself, Embiid is also happy to see some of the game's top players come from other countries. “It's also foreign guys. Foreign guys are really taking over, Luka, it's great for us,” he said.
There is no denying professional basketball's international presence is stronger than it's ever been. Each of the last three MVP winners is of foreign descent, and that trend will likely continue this year.
The Sixers big man making a comeback is by far one of the biggest storylines in the NBA. After a period where the position was becoming an afterthought, there are now a plethora of elite centers. Guys like Embiid and Jokic not only kickstarted the resurgence of bigs but are cases of how the position has evolved. Some of the things they do at their size have never been seen before.
Since he arrived in Philadelphia, Embiid has been very open about his pursuit of greatness. When he hangs it up for good, he wants his name to be alongside some of the premier talents the game has had to offer. With this goal in mind, he understands winning awards and championships is a top priority.
