“Joel Embiid has been the world’s best player!”: Charles Barkley snubs Giannis and Stephen Curry to anoint the Sixers superstar as the NBA MVP so far

Charles Barkley is known for his hot takes – His latest one is that Joel Embiid should be the MVP over Giannis, Steph or Jokic

MVP discussions have always been heated – the latest one is no different. The three candidates in discussion for the latest episode were Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic.

Each of them has been putting up chart-topping numbers across the board and leading their teams to victories. A very surprising exclusion was Kevin Durant, but that is a discussion for another time.

While everyone agreed to have a pick from the three in discussion, Charles Barkley wanted to give Joel Embiid his due recognition. Prior the loss against LaMelo Ball and the Hornets, the 76ers were on an impressive 7 win run, all thanks to the superlative efforts from Embiid. Joel averages 27.1 ppg, 10.5 rpg and 4.1 apg which puts him bang in the middle of the numbers for the other three.

That caught the eye of Barkley, who’s always been fan of an underdog and is partial to the Philly team since he started his career there. Embiid and Barkley may have certain similarities in their game style, which also could be one of the reasons why Embiid is ranks so high on his list – he sees himself in the 76ers center.

Also Read: “Drake and Kyle Lowry spotted playing pickup basketball in Miami”: The Canadian rapper shares a special bond with the former Raptors player

Joel Embiid has been the best player on the 76ers – but has he been the best player in the whole of NBA?

Joel has been the best player by far on the 76ers – The next best player on that roster is Tobias Harris. The gap between their output and their influence on the court is huge too. Embiid is the new breed of centers – They play a position less game. He is well rounded, but excellent in his primary role – scoring and defending the paint.

The NBA now has seen a shift in the way centers play – they’ve started taking more threes than ever Jonas Valanciunas may be listed as a center for the Pelicans, but he shoots like a guard. Currently averaging 42.7% from the three, he’s the Pelican’s best shooter. We’ve seen this revolution start with players like Jokic and Embiid, and the trend continues.

But just because Embiid is a trendsetter, doesn’t make him the best player of the NBA. Sure his stats have been comparable to some of the front runner, but there are players who have been so much better. The three in discussion along with the obvious names left out – Kevin Durant, LeBron James and even Chris Paul have all been as influential as Embiid ahs been for the 76ers.

Also Read: “I don’t like Ja Morant… Anybody who has 2 letters in their first name cannot be real!”: Charles Barkley piles on his dislike for the Grizzlies’ star on Inside the NBA

Joel has also never in his career played more than 65 games in his career. He’s seriously injury prone, which makes his impact on the roster diminish slightly. When your superstar is out for 20+ games a season on a regular basis, it is hard for anyone to crown him MVP.