This season’s NBA MVP race has been one for the ages.
Just when it seemed like Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was ready to run away with the award for the third consecutive season, Joel Embiid came out of the blue to make it interesting.
The Philadelphia 76ers star has flirted with the MVP award for a couple of seasons now, yet Jokic has often gotten the edge over him.
The narrative around Embiid’s MVP case has often been his durability, but he’s been mostly healthy this season.
That’s why NBA analyst Nick Wright believes the Cameroonian big man needs to break through in the final couple of weeks and the first round of the playoffs if he wants to convince voters that he’s actually this season’s Most Valuable Player.
"Joel Embiid has to break through in the playoffs. … The NBA MVP is going to come down to the final week."
— @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/8OAutHdanP
— What’s Wright? with Nick Wright (@WhatsWrightShow) March 31, 2023
Embiid has posted video game-like numbers all year long, averaging a league-leading 33.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 1.90 three-pointers per game on 54/34/85 shooting splits.
Granted, he’s missed 14 games all season, and Jokic has averaged a triple-double by leading his team to the first seed in the Western Conference and making five more appearances than Embiid.
Truth be told, it seems like the league couldn’t go wrong either way this season.
More interestingly, this Jokic vs. Embiid debate has all but put the ‘dying big man’ debate to rest.
For the past couple of years, centers have dominated the scene in a perimeter-oriented league, which is a huge win for those old-school fans complaining about today’s three-point happy offenses and jump-shooting teams.
NEXT: Damian Lillard Once Again Defends His Time With The Trail Blazers
