PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — For the second season in a row, Sixers star Joel Embiid was reportedly snubbed for MVP by Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. But before the postseason even began, teammate Georges Niang suggested any snub would make Embiid a force in these playoff games.
“I think you will see an unreal Joel Embiid in the playoffs if that happens,” Niang said after an April 13 practice. Press had asked how head-scratching it would be if Embiid didn’t win.
Jokić, Embiid and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo were finalists for MVP this year. Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP. Embiid has never won.
“I think he deserves it,” Niang said last month. “I’m not gonna do any more advocating because the numbers speak for themselves and I know who my MVP is. But if he doesn’t win it, he’s gonna show you why he should’ve won it. … Don’t challenge Joel.”
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Last season, one of the knocks on Embiid was that he didn’t play enough games due to injury. Jokić didn't miss a game.
This season, while Jokić improved his numbers from last season, Embiid didn’t miss as many games as in the 2020-21 season. In fact, he played more regular-season games in one season than he ever had before. Most of the games he missed were due to COVID-19, not an injury. Embiid also led the league in scoring — the first time a center did so since Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal in 2000.
Those in favor of Jokić may argue he led Denver to the playoffs despite missing key teammates Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. due to injury. However, Embiid also continued to perform at high levels despite the Ben Simmons saga prior to the trade deadline.
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ESPN NBA insider Ramona Shelburne acknowledged Jokić made a big shot over Embiid in Denver’s March 14 win over Philadelphia, and Antetokounmpo blocked Embiid with seconds winding down in Milwaukee’s March 29 win at Wells Fargo Center. Shelburne said she still voted for Embiid.
In the end, however, it’s the NBA title that matters. The Nuggets were bounced in the first round. The Sixers are still in it, and Embiid’s first game since Wojnarowski’s MVP report is Tuesday night in Miami — Game 5 of the Sixers’ second-round playoff series against the Heat — with everything even at two games apiece.