NBA Mid-Season Awards: Updating the ballot for the half season

MVP – Joel Embiid

Honorable Mentions: LeBron James, Nikola Jokic

Quarter-Pole Choice: Joel Embiid

For the first half of the season, no one has had as much of an impact on winning as Joel Embiid. He is a two-way dynamo and has finally been able to stay on the court for the majority of his team’s games. For a player who has always had this potential watching him realize it in dominating fashion is a beautiful sight.

Embiid’s numbers are eye-popping: 30.2 points (second in the league), 11.6 rebounds (sixth), 3.3 assists, 1.4 blocks (tied 16th) and 1.2 steals per game. He is currently 12th in defensive rating (106.5) among starters, tied for fifth in net rating (11.1), eighth in defensive rebounding percentage and rebounding percentage.

He is third in the league in usage rate (34.1) and still boasts an elite true shooting percentage (64.6 percent). The Sixers have been the best team in the Eastern Conference and Embiid is the primary reason why.

LeBron James will have a case for MVP for the entire time he plays in the league. He may still be the best player alive today but as his team’s record falters with Anthony Davis out of the lineup it is tougher to make the argument. Nikola Jokic has been phenomenal (27.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game) and is the likely runner-up as long as his team trails in the win’s column. He is currently the most likely player to catch Embiid.