Why Joel Embiid is (and is not) the NBA MVP this season

Why Joel Embiid is (and is not) the NBA MVP this season: Why – Alone

When looking across the league at potential NBA MVP candidates, there aren’t many who have carried their team quite as much as Joel Embiid has. (And yes, obviously he won’t be alone for much longer, but regardless.)

With Ben Simmons not playing and some of his teammates struggling, Embiid has stepped up in a big way. His ability to put the team on his back has been on full display this season.

Tobias Harris’ points total might look high, but he’s been struggling mightily with efficiency this year. There’s no telling how well he’s going to shoot on a night-to-night basis.

Tyrese Maxey has certainly been a major help to Embiid, but if you had told Philadelphia 76ers fans that Embiid’s best co-star would be Maxey at the start of the year, most of them might have panicked.

That’s not a knock on Maxey, but just stating that Embiid doesn’t have the All-Star cast that a lot of other star players around the NBA do.

Stephen Curry has Draymond Green, Chris Paul has Devin Booker, Giannis Antetokounmpo has Khris Middleton. The list goes on and on, and even the star players that don’t have another All-Star with them often have a much deeper team than the Sixers do.

Plus, now that the team traded away Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, they are going to have even less depth than before. And with Drummond gone, even more pressure will be put on Embiid to carry the center position.

Embiid has been dominant, and he’s been dominant on a team where he is (or was) the only star. That often counts for a lot when it comes to NBA MVP voting.