Shannon Sharpe called Joel Embiid a Unanimous MVP pick after his incredible 51-point effort. In the 127-113 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Center had a monster stat line of 51 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. The amazing post-player hit 17 of his 25 shots to continue his brilliant scoring season. This was the second time that the dynamic scorer had at least 50 points in a game.
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While discussing this performance on ESPN’s First Take, Sharpe proclaimed,
“Well, right now, he [Joel Embiid] is hands down the unanimous MVP.”
He also lauded the that fact this efficient night came against the elite frontcourt defense of Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert. The ESPN analyst pointed out how Joel Embiid is the only guy after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to have more than 10 consecutive games with 30+ points and 10+ rebounds.
The 76ers Ace has managed such numbers in 12 straight games, compared to Abdul-Jabbar’s 16 during the 1971-72 season. Additionally, Sharpe also appreciated Tyrese Maxey’s play, calling him a “Batman B”, while Embiid the “Batman A”.
The First Take co-host believes that because of these two, the “76ers are the real deal.” Apart from that, he opined that even triple-double machine and reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic is not at Embiid’s level currently.
“Joel Embiid is right now the unanimous MVP and right now, no one is even close to him, and I love Nikola Jokic,” Sharpe added.
The 2023 MVP managed such a humongous night against the Timberwolves team that is at the top of the Western Conference. They have played top-notch defense and have a defense rating of 107.5. They are #8 in the least points allowed per game in the paint with 46.7 points. However, the 6x NBA All-Star is unstoppable right now.
Joel Embiid is leading the charge for the 76ers
Alongside an incredible scoring average of 35.1, the Center is putting up 11.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. This is the third straight season he has averaged 30+ points. Therefore, he is on pace to be the points-per-game leader for the third consecutive season. Thanks to his exploits, the Philadelphia 76ers are 19-8 and have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.
The team has done an incredible job considering how they had to deal with the James Harden scenario. It felt like the team chemistry may have been broken after Harden unceremoniously parted ways with the organization but Embiid and Maxey have held the fort. The guard is averaging an impressive 26.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game on 46.2%.
While Sharpe is advocating Embiid’s bid to repeat as the league’s MVP, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are in the running too. But the 76ers Center has become the best scorer in the league and looks primed for his second straight MVP award.
