Philadelphia 76ers: Will Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons win MVP first?

The Philadelphia 76ers have two borderline superstars who will be perennial MVP candidates in just a few seasons. Will Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons win it first?

The Philadelphia 76ers drafted two potential generational talents when they picked Joel Embiid with the third pick in 2014 and Ben Simmons with the first pick in 2016. The two finally shared the court last season after they missed three seasons combined due to injuries, and the results were encouraging: 52 wins, an Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance, and the third-best record in the East.

Obviously, the team comes first in the minds of the players, but comparing the developments of the two players is inevitable. In terms of individual awards, the Most Valuable Player award is the gold standard, so the Sixer who earns that prize first will gain a lot more respect across the league.

The two players have unique skill sets compared to the rest of the NBA. Embiid is arguably the most skilled big man in the low post and the best interior defender in the league, yet he also enjoys stepping out to pop a three or drive on a less athletic defender. Simmons is a 6-foot-10 point guard who can’t shoot but can still take over a game when he wants to, and he established himself as one of the NBA’s best passers in his inaugural season.

More from The Sixer Sense

The Cameroonian’s defensive presence is irreplaceable and his offensive game means he can come up with a bucket whenever his team needs one. Although he is a transcendent talent and may develop into the best center of all time, his teammate will win MVP before he does.

The NBA’s migration out to the three-point line is the one thing holding the Process back from winning an MVP award. A big man has not won the award since Dirk Nowitzki in 2007, and a center has not won it since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000. Embiid is a phenomenal player, but there is too much competition for the award, and voters are likely to continue with the trend of voting for perimeter players like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and James Harden unless Embiid has a historically good season.

As he is three years younger than Embiid, Simmons will enter his prime slightly later than his teammate, and he will have a longer peak due to his less dense injury history and slightly smaller frame. Simmons had the most influence on the Sixers offense last season, even though he rarely shot outside of 10 feet, and as soon as he expands his range to even just 15 feet, no one will be able to contain him.

As a rookie, Simmons had the second-most touches per game in the NBA with 95.1, just behind Russell Westbrook‘s 96. Of the 10 players who touched the ball most last season, eight have made All-NBA teams. Embiid finished with 76.4 touches per game, which is high, but unless Brown starts to run the offense through the center instead of Simmons, the point guard will win the MVP award because of his vital role and involvement in every play for the 76ers.

Involvement is the main reason why Simmons will win the award first. The statistical dynamic here is interesting: Joel Embiid posted by far the highest usage percentage on the team last year at 33.4 percent, while Simmons’ finished at 22.3 percent. On the other hand, Simmons, as a rookie, posted a VORP of 4.6, which makes Embiid’s 2.2 VORP look unimpressive in comparison.

Additionally, the point guard beat the center in win shares over the course of last season, finishing with 9.2 and 6.2 respectively. So, while Joel Embiid clearly leads the team with his personality, myriad methods of putting the ball in the basket, and defensive dominance, but Ben Simmons holds the team together, and without him, the team would not have won their first playoff series since 2012.

A lot of time has passed since a center has been the undisputed best player on one of the NBA’s top teams. Embiid needs to have a Shaq-like year in order to snag the award from established superstars like Harden, LeBron, Westbrook, Curry, and KD. The Sixers’ center certainly has enough talent to put up numbers like Shaq’s stat line 1999-00 MVP season, where he hung 29.7 points, 13.6 boards, and three blocks per game. The main issue is whether or not he will shoot efficiently enough or stay healthy enough to post numbers as crazy as those.

Embiid certainly has the edge in terms of popularity, but given the decline of the center across the league, it makes it hard to envision him winning the most prestigious award before a guard who has as much influence on each game, if not more.

Next. 3 ways Ben Simmons can take the next step. dark

The NBA is a guard’s league now, and with the Fresh Prince touching the ball 95.1 times per game and making 74.1 passes per game, his involvement in every function of the Sixers offense makes him the favorite to snag the MVP award when the current generation of superstars begins to fade.