Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid’s MVP campaign comes up just short
Joel Embiid is the best two-way center in the NBA.
Though he only appeared in 51 regular season games in a 72 game season – which, apparently invalidates his accomplishments in the eyes of some – Embiid finished out the season with the fourth-most average points, 10th-most average rebounds, and 10th-most average blocks per game while knocking down 51.3 percent of his shots from the field, 37.7 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, and 85.9 percent of his shots from the charity stripe.
Funny enough, Embiid also led the league in both free throw attempts and made free throws per game; marking the first time a center averaged double-digit free throws per game since he accomplished the feat during the 2018-19 season.
But, for one reason or another, it wasn’t enough to bring back the NBA’s ultimate prize, as noted Coca-Cola aficionado Nikola Jokic, Embiid’s Western Conference foil, has won the NBA’s MVP award according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Is it a bummer? Most definitely, but you know what’s better than being the regular season MVP? Being finals MVP. If Joel Embiid can use this snub as motivation, well, then the Philadelphia 76ers might just come out of this one as the real winners.
The Philadelphia 76ers need to use Joel Embiid’s sub as motivation.
More from Section 215
- 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
- Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
- 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
- Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
- Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles
When news broke that Joel Embiid has suffered a tear in his right meniscus, it left fans of the Philadelphia 76ers pretty down in the dumps.
This was supposed to be our year. Despite missing out on multiple trades that could have seriously shaken up the Eastern Conference both now and moving forward, the dynamic duo of Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey was still able to build a roster capable of winning the highest percentage of games since the 2000-01 season and finishing out the regular season with a number 1 seed. Losing Embiid for an indeterminant length of time, or at best having him play not quite at 100 percent would seemingly forever leave a dark mark on an otherwise encouraging season and leave fans always wondering “what if?”
After about a half dozen other “what ifs?” during the transition from lottery-bound processors to legitimate title contenders, this one had the potential to sting most of all; more than losing Ben Simmons in 2020, trading Zhaire Smith for Makail Bridges, and even the entire Markelle Fultz saga.
Fortunately, things weren’t quite as bad as some initially expected. Embiid missed the final game of the Wizards series after leaving Game 4 after an 11-minute run and was able to play 38 minutes – his playoff average – in the Sixers’ first game against the Atlanta Hawks; scoring over a point per minute for what feels like the 40th time in his career.
While the Sixers obviously didn’t win that game, it wasn’t because Embidi played badly. He finished out the game with the third-highest +/- of any player in the game regardless of their jersey behind only Seth Curry and Lou Williams and was able to attack the boards with his usual gusto despite clearly not being 100 percent.
Could Embiid step his game up even more in Game 2? Sure. Once the Sixers got behind, Embiid became less of a factor in the restricted area than one would typically assume from the best paint scorer in the game, but he isn’t the reason why the team was down 15 at the end of the first and down 20 at the half.
That, my friends, would be because of an insurmountable concoction of turnovers and poor coaching adjustments (more on that here).
After watching his ultimate personal goal for the season come up short due to no fault of his own, Embiid has a unique opportunity to use this “rejection” as fuel to prove once and for all that he’s not only the best player in the Sixers-Hawks series but a player capable of taking over a series and willing his team to a win over a high-powered offensive squad with an elite interior defender at the five spot.
Make no mistake about it; Embiid can score on pretty much anyone. Clint Capella, the second-ranked defender in the NBA during the regular season according to FiveThirtyEight, came a foul away from having his night end prematurely, and both John Collins and Onyeka Okongwu proved ill-equipped to slow down the 7-foot, 280-pound bull in a china shop when he got going down low.
Capitalize on those matchups, and momentum could remain firmly in Philly’s corner, as teams just don’t shoot 42.6 from beyond the arc in the playoffs game-in and game-out. If the Hawks simply regress to their regular season average of 12.4 made 3s at a 37.3 percent clip, it’ll wipe between 18 and 21 points off the board and eliminate Atlanta’s biggest advantage from Game 1.
Joel Embiid is the best player in this series. If Doc Rivers is smart, he’ll run the show through him.
dark. Next. George Hill is playing for his future versus Atlanta
Does it sting a little bit to what Joel Embiid came up short? Most definitely. Philly hasn’t had a league MVP since Allen Iverson in 2000-01, and the City of Brotherly Love would have popped the heck off if months of #MVPIID chants were vindicated. But in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter, not right now anyway. What matters now is the Philadelphia 76ers beating out the Atlanta Hawks and proving once and for all that they can beat anyone, even those dastardly Brooklyn Nets. To accomplish that feat, Joel Embiid will have to continue to perform at an MVP level, even if he doesn’t technically get to bring home the trophy.