Given the talent involved in the 2022-23 NBA MVP race, the narrative will play a huge part in determining which player, among all deserving candidates, gets to hoist the newly-named Michael Jordan Trophy. Thus, there's no better time for Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid to bust out everything in his arsenal — including a dominant 52-point performance against longtime rivals Boston Celtics — to sway the MVP narrative towards his favor.

And Embiid definitely feels like the tide is turning favorably towards his direction, if his latest Instagram post is any indication.

“On the right path,” Embiid wrote as he posted two pictures of himself finishing strong at the rim and another one of himself pointing towards the crowd with a huge “MVP” placard right beside him.

Joel Embiid's 52-point performance to will the Sixers to victory was already a convincing enough case for his bid to finally win his first MVP award. But for it come on a night where Nikola Jokic — his biggest rival for the accolade — and the Denver Nuggets fell flat against one of the worst teams in the league in the Houston Rockets? That makes it all the more sweet for Sixers fans who have yearned for vindication as their beloved “Process” came in second in the MVP race two years in a row.

And to do it against the Celtics, the team that eliminated Embiid's Sixers from playoff contention in 2018 and 2020? That should give the arguable MVP frontrunner an indelible smile on his face.

But it keeps on getting better for Joel Embiid. He also managed to pull off this dominant performance against former Sixers frontcourt mate Al Horford, a matchup he's had troubles navigating in the past.

Of course, MVP voters will look at the candidates' entire body of work for the 2022-23 season, making Nikola Jokic's dreams of a three-peat still very much alive. But with the margins between them being this razor thin, recency bias could very well play a huge part in the voting outcome.

At the end of the day, Embiid will have his sights set on leading the Sixers deep into the playoffs. But winning an MVP award could go a long way towards motivating him even further by giving him his much-deserved validation.