Although Nikola Jokic sits atop the NBA superstar throne for the time being, there are plenty of worthy adversaries who are ready to stage a coup and assume their status as supreme ruler of the basketball world. An obvious candidate is the reigning MVP, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. Ironically, the same dark cloud that hung above Jokic still follows the face of the Sixers.

Winning a championship has long been a rite of passage that all elites must go through before being crowned. Others like Jayson Tatum are given some leeway for leading their team deep into the posteason multiple times. Embiid has never even appeared in an Eastern Conference Finals.

One can argue that injuries are partially to blame for that fact, but it is certainly a blemish on a still-impressive resume. Such pressure can creep into an athlete and influence their actions. However, as a former Sixth Man of the Year notes, Embiid is simply taking care of his business on the court.

“[Joel Embiid] is letting the numbers and his play talk for itself,” Lou Williams said on FanDuel's Run It Back. “I'm loving this new style of his. ‘I'm just going to go out there, whoop everybody's a** and be one of the best players in the world. And I'm going to let people talk about what they want to talk about.”‘

Williams alluded to Embiid's ‘Troel' persona, and how little fans have seen of it lately. There is no time for him or the Sixers to mess around. James Harden is gone, and so too should any tension that might have previously existed. They have the talent and chemistry to finally put everything together, so no excuses will be tolerated. A more serious Joel Embiid reflects that.