There’s no clear favorite for the All-Star Break MVP trophy, but Joel Embiid has positioned himself pretty well. Now at the head of our “Race for the MVP”, the Cameroonian is also the favorite of the US press.
Second in the ballot last year, does the Sixers player think he deserves the Maurice Podoloff trophy?
“I don’t want to force it, but the way I play speaks for itself”he replied. “Especially with everything we’ve been through, the melodrama we’ve been through all year, the fact that we were missing an important piece, and then everything that happened to our team and the way it’s organised.”
If he started the year slowly, Joel Embiid has clearly increased in power over the season. In 2022, he thus turns to 33.2 points (52% success), 11.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 against on average. Above all, his team has won 15 of the 22 games he has played and the Sixers are therefore in 3rd place in the East.
“I knew that I was going to have to raise my level of play to another stage, offensively, defensively but also in terms of creation. I have great teammates, who come every day and give their all on the pitch. But everything is linked to victory. As long as we win I will be at this level of play and we have a chance to win everything and I have a chance to be MVP. To answer your question, my performances speak for themselves. Every night, that’s what I’ve done, offensively and defensively, and I don’t intend to stop. “
The Cameroonian also thinks that his offensive impact masks his defensive impact, the overall result also being linked to his physical work, to avoid injuries and perform well in each game.
“This level comes from the fact that I have really worked on my body for the last two years, and the results are there. I still feel like I can make progress. I’m still a long way from where I want to be physically but when I get to that level, often I’m going all out, but doing all of that offensively and defensively is tough. “
Defending champion, Nikola Jokic did not want to do his self-promotion, simply explaining that he would be happy if a “big man” was rewarded. This therefore leaves three candidates in the eyes of the Serb, himself of course, but also Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo, since he recalled that the “Greek Freak” is an interior.
| Joel Embiid | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2016-17 | PHL | 31 | 25 | 46.6 | 36.7 | 78.3 | 2.0 | 5.9 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 20.2 |
| 2017-18 | PHL | 63 | 30 | 48.3 | 30.8 | 76.9 | 2.3 | 8.7 | 11.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 3.7 | 1.8 | 22.9 |
| 2018-19 | PHL | 64 | 34 | 48.4 | 30.0 | 80.4 | 2.5 | 11.1 | 13.6 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 27.5 |
| 2019-20 | PHL | 51 | 30 | 47.7 | 33.1 | 80.7 | 2.8 | 8.9 | 11.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 23.0 |
| 2020-21 | PHL | 51 | 31 | 51.3 | 37.7 | 85.9 | 2.2 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 28.5 |
| 2021-22 | PHL | 46 | 33 | 49.5 | 36.9 | 81.3 | 2.0 | 9.2 | 11.2 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 29.6 |
| Total | 306 | 31 | 48.8 | 33.5 | 80.9 | 2.3 | 9.0 | 11.3 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 25.6 | |
