Joel Embiid Inserts His Name Into MVP Conversation
Even though he has been in the league with the 76ers since 2014, Joel Embiid has only been playing since 2016 due to foot injuries, but he has been getting better each and every year he has been in the NBA. He has made three consecutive All-Star game appearances and has been the most dominant big man in the league.
This season, Joel Embiid is going to have his best season of his career and will elevate everyone around him as a result. It is a given that Embiid is going to average a double-double for the season, but he is going to take a massive leap as a defensive player and shot-blocker as well.
Embiid has always been known as an offensive-minded big man who has some of the best footwork in the low-post in the entire league, but in order for the Philadelphia 76ers to be true title contenders, they will need him to also be a great interior defender and avid shot-blocker. Since 2016, his effectiveness as an interior defender has declined and that can be a direct correlation as to why the 76ers have been getting worse as a team.
Not only is he the best offensive player on this roster, but Joel Embiid can be just as good defensively if he really puts in the effort to do so this season. Ben Simmons is already one of the most elite all-around defenders in the league and if the Sixers can get Embiid playing defense at a high-level too, they will definitely be one of the top teams in the entire NBA.
The one main concern with Embiid focusing a lot more on the defensive end of the court definitely has to be fatigue. Due to his injury history, Embiid really needs to take good care of his body and has been putting in a lot of work this offseason to not only work on his endurance but to eat better and improve his overall body health.
This season, Joel Embiid could go out and have his best season at the NBA level yet and as a result, would catapult him into the conversation for league MVP, especially if he leads the 76ers to one of the best records in the Eastern Conference.
