Way too early All-NBA team predictions for 2023-2024
By Tyler Key
All-NBA First Team – Joel Embiid
After the Denver Nuggets’ championship run, most would agree that it is now safe to say that Nikola Jokic is the best center in the NBA, not Joel Embiid. However, that does not mean that Joel Embiid’s MVP award last season was invalid or that he will not continue to be an absolute monster on the NBA court.
He looks to build off of his league-leading 33.1 PPG from last season and get back up to the 37%+ three-point shooter that he was in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 (last season he shot an inconsistent 33%). After not playing in 65+ games in any of his first six NBA seasons, he has had two consecutive seasons where he has been very reliable. If this trend continues, Embiid will be good for 30+ PPG, 10+ RPG, and 4+ APG again next season.
The unknown factor that could cause more problems than even Embiid’s injury risk is James Harden’s problem. After opting out of his contract and demanding a trade, as well as Doc Rivers getting fired, the team chemistry on the 76ers continues to be shaky. Luckily, Nick Nurse is an elite coach who should set up Embiid to be successful and can hopefully help lead a deeper playoff run.