Could Joel Embiid repeat as NBA MVP?

If the season ended today, the answer would be a clear ‘yes' for Shannon Sharpe. Joel Embiid made the choice obvious after he put up an astounding 51-point, 12 rebound game against the 20-6 Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

“Right now, he's the hands down unanimous MVP,” Sharpe said. “He did that against Rudy Gobert and Karl Anthony Towns. The guy is averaging 35 points per game and he's the first guy since Kareem to have 30+ points and 10+ rebounds in 10 or more consecutive games. He's up to 12, I think Kareem did it 16 times in 1971-1972 season. When you do something that someone hasn't done in 50+ years, that let's you know you're playing on another planet … [The Sixers] are the real deal. Joel Embiid right now is the unanimous MVP and nobody is close to it. And I love Nikola Jokic,” via ESPN First Take.

As Sharpe pointed out, Embiid is the first player to average 30+ points and 10+ rebounds since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it in the early 1970s. If Embiid continues, he'll have a shot at breaking Kareem's record. Embiid is currently the NBA leader in points per game, averaging an absurd 35.1 ppg. He's also fifth in the NBA in rebounds per game, averaging 11.8. These totals have currently surpassed what he eclipsed last year while winning MVP, when he averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Not only do his stats make him a viable MVP candidate, but his team's success. The Sixers currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference with a 19-8 record, behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. Philadelphia is also rolling right now thanks to Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. They've won seven of their last eight games and once again look like legitimate threats in the East.