Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons thinks he should be the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. Joel Embiid disagrees. He believes he has earned that recognition.
Embiid said on The Lowe Post podcast he deserves to be named DPOY.
Embiid wants to be the DPOY 👀⁰⁰(via @ZachLowe_NBA) pic.twitter.com/AtGmSn8ZrA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2021
The four-time All-Star also spoke on his candidacy for league MVP, saying impacts the game on both ends for the top seed in the Eastern Conference:
“First seed in the East, the numbers speak for themselves,” Embiid said, via Sports Illustrated. “We're not just talking about the offensive side of the game. We're talking about the defensive side of the game. If you actually go through all the numbers, some could say I could be deserving of Defensive Player of the Year. When you add both of them as far as the offensive side of the game and the defensive part of it and mix it in with the number one seed, I don't know what more you could ask.”
Nobody is questioning Embiid's value.
The 27-year-old is averaging 29.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while also averaging 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks. Embiid leads the NBA in player efficiency rating and ranks second in win shares per 48 minutes. His two-way dominance has elevated this Sixers team to new heights.
But injuries detract from Embiid's candidacy for both awards. He has played just 37 games and missed an extended amount of time with a knee injury.
Health and availability are absolutely considerations in award races. Injuries to other top stars–including LeBron James and James Harden–have likely made Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic the top candidate.
As for DPOY? Well, Simmons probably has a better case. He ranks ahead of Embiid in defensive win shares (third in the NBA) and defensive box plus-minus.
Still, it would be pretty amusing to be a fly on the wall in a hypothetical DPOY argument between the two Sixers stars.
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