Joel Embiid approaches his first MVP

The end of the regular season is approaching. He April 15 begin the playoffs and, with this, the winners of the desired individual prizes will be known. These appoint the best novato of the year, to which more has improvedto the best coachal defender highlight and, of course, to best player of the campaign. The race for him long awaited MVP, an award that great legends have never had in their showcases, is more even than ever. AND, Joel Embiidhas been made with the favorite position so that Nikola Jokic do not repeat the third prize in a row.

Embiid’s path since his arrival in the NBA has been full of obstacles. The Cameroonian, who started playing basketball at 15 years and moved to the United States at 16to the prestigious academy of Montverde in Florida, he is closer than ever to an individual award that has eluded him in recent years. The injuries marked the beginning of his stage in the highest competition. after leaving Kansas in 2014he missed the first two seasons for a foot injury. In the seven subsequent ones, he has been chosen for the All-Star in six of them.

While the spotlights went to the Serbian center of the Denver Nuggets, winner of these last two distinctions, the interior of the Sixers had to settle for second place in both. He has not been satisfied with being outshone in a place where he does not believe he belongs, wants to be the best player in the nba and lead your team to glory. The Cameroonian wants to enter the select club of Wilt Chamberlain (on three occasions)Julius Erving (1981) and Allen Iverson (2001) as the only players who they have won the MVP with the Sixers jersey.

The NBA has launched its weekly article reviewing the classification of the favorites to win the trophy. A few days before the end of the regular phase, Embiid occupies the first place. The exceptional moment of form of the Cameroonian, added to the positive streak of the Sixers in the last month, has had to do with a decision that will not be made until the final sprint. The team of Philadelphia chains eight straight wins. those of Doc Rivers they have ousted the Celtics in 2nd place in the East, and they want to get to the postseason in the best shape possible.

In the final stretch, three possible winners have remained: Nikola Jokic, who seeks to equalize Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain y Larry Bird as the only players to have won it in three seasons consecutive, Giannis Antetokounmpowhich already raised it in 2019 y 2020 and, the now favorite, Joel Embiid. It is no coincidence that Milwaukee, Denver and Philadelphia are the best teams in the NBA. Another time in which the top candidates are players international and there is no american (Jayson Tatum could be the closest), something that is becoming recurring.

Comparing the statistics of the three-year period, the Cameroonian with a French passport is the top scorer of the league with 33.5 points by encounter. Giannis occupies the fifth placecon 31,3 per night. Jokic is in the 17th placewriting down 24,1 average points in each game. In the plane rebounderJokic and Giannis (both with 11,9) exceed the mark due to a duel against Embiid (10,2). As given, yes Jokic sum 0.1 to your average of assists (9,9), will become the third player in NBA history to average triple-double in a season after Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 and Russell Westbrookon four occasions (2016-2019 and 2021).

Embiid, currently, is the player who more points and rebounds per game sum per game in the last 40 yearscon 43,6. It would thus surpass Shaquille O’Neal in its temporary MVP (1999-2000), where he signed 43.4. The dominance that the 29 year old center it is hardly comparable in the last decades. The African has scored more than 30 points in the last nine games. On as many as 11 occasions he has been over 40 points, including two performances over 50 (59 vs. Utah, 53 vs. Charlotte). Looking at the advanced statistics, Jojo is the player with best +/- of the leaguecon 9,60. This data measures the impact middle of a player in the points difference (noted and received) by 100 possessions offensive and defensive. Jokic, in this section, is 3º (7,86).

Results are no longer a differential factor. Milwaukee, with 51 winsDenver and Philadelphia, with 48, they look at each other in the high positions of both conferences. The good group level of the Sixers pushes Joel to heights that were unattainable until now. The resurrection of a James Harden that resembles at times the one who wore the shirt of Houstonthe good framework defensive (7th in defensive rating con 112.2 points /100 possessions) and the success in attack (3º offensive rating con 117.4 points), are the keys for Embiid to have brought out his best level.

In the case of Giannis, those of Wisconsin are the team with best league recordand he is signing some numbers for the memory (31.3/11.9 rebounds/5.6 assists). The Bucks have learned to “survive” without the Greek forward, but he is still the necessary piece for them to lift another trophy again. The turning point may be in the Sixers’ improvement over last season (43 at this point).

Embiid is closer than ever to getting a trophy that seemed like, after two second places in later seasons, it was never going to come. Jokic and Giannis are the main rivals, but he seems to have gained the upper hand in the past few weeks.