For Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, there is no doubt in his mind that Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid deserves to win the 2022-23 MVP award over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic.

Carlisle shared his thoughts on the MVP race after the Sixers beat his Pacers on Saturday, 141-121. With James Harden out due to a foot injury, Embiid exploded once again and displayed his two-way play that has made him an MVP favorite this season. The Philly big man dropped 31 points and recorded seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks with just one turnover to dominate in the contest.

Naturally, Carlisle was full of praise for Embiid. He even compared what he's doing to Antetokounmpo and Jokic's performances, emphasizing that Embiid is simply on another level.

“[Joel Embiid] is probably the MVP with what their team is doing and how he's elevated his game. He's as difficult a guy to game plan for as there is… Giannis is crazy ridiculous. Jokic is, same, and this guy may be even more difficult,” Carlisle explained, via ClutchPoints Twitter.

It's hard to argue with Rick Carlisle's take here. After all, Joel Embiid has propelled himself as the new odds-on favorite to win the MVP honor. Not only are the Sixers on a winning streak, but Embiid has also been unstoppable during that span.

More on more people are convinced that Embiid deserves to be MVP, and while it's tough to tell who'll win in the end, the Sixers star has definitely made a strong case.