NBA: Top 10 candidates for 2018-19 MVP award
7. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
In just his second NBA season, Joel Embiid tallied 22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. What’s scary is he’s just barely scratching the surface of his potential, especially since his health is only now becoming stable after playing 63 games last year.
At 24 years old, The Process hasn’t even entered his prime yet. Assuming he continues to build on a clean bill of health, he’s going to expand his game on both ends of the floor. He’ll be a legitimate candidate for Defensive Player of the Year again next season after finishing second in the voting last year, and the Philadelphia 76ers might have the team success to strengthen his case.
Coming off a 52-win season, the Sixers are looking to carry the momentum of their turnaround season forward. They’ll likely finish with another top-two or three record in the East, and if Embiid can increase his scoring numbers and upgrade his 3-point efficiency (30.8 percent last year), he’ll be a strong candidate.
We might still be one year away from when Embiid is a perennial MVP option and the 76ers are legitimate title contenders, but he’s already so damn good it’s impossible to leave him off the list. The power of narrative will certainly be on his side if that transformation takes another leap forward in just his third season.