Despite another incredible season from both the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, there is a growing feeling that Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is on his way to winning his first-ever regular season MVP award.
He has put together his best season yet by averaging career-highs in scoring average (33.1 points per game) and shooting accuracy (54.8 percent), which has given him his second-straight scoring title.
🗣️ PHILLY’S BIG-TIME BUCKET GETTER pic.twitter.com/1eFVmBlpNO
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2023
Not that many players have led the NBA in scoring twice, and the list of men who have won scoring titles in consecutive seasons is even shorter.
Just a few years ago, Embiid was considered a great player, but some felt he was inconsistent with his aggression, and he was also criticized for being out of shape, as well as not taking care of his body during the offseason.
He was also injury-prone, as he had never appeared in as many as 65 games until last season.
But Embiid, who turned 29 years of age last month, is now in his prime, and not coincidentally, the Sixers have seemingly raised their collective game as well.
They finished with a 54-28 record, which is the third-best record in both the Eastern Conference and the entire league, and it looks like they have their best shot at winning the NBA championship since the last time they did so in 1983.
Back then, they were led by dominant Hall of Fame center Moses Malone, and Embiid’s big body and regular dominance in the paint and on the boards remind some of a prime Malone.
