Sixers MVP ladder: Can Joel Embiid overcome injury?

The Sixers are currently first in the East despite the extended absence of Joel Embiid. With the All-Star center expected to miss at least a couple more games before returning to the court, his MVP case has been irrefutably tarnished.

That said, one cannot remove Embiid from the conversation entirely. Here’s how his chances currently stack up.

NBA MVP candidate #5: Damian Lillard

This is easily Damian Lillard’s strongest MVP candidacy to date. Has has once again kept the Blazers afloat despite several injuries on the roster, including long absences from CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. Portland is 28-18, only 1.5 games away from home-court advantage in the West. The Blazers are putting together a historically strong offensive season, and Lillard is at the core of everything they do.

In 44 games, Lillard has averaged 29.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists on .446/.374/.944 shooting splits. His potency off the dribble, combined with elite off-ball movement and shooting, makes for a near impossible defensive assignment. There’s a reason Dame Time is among the most popular NBA colloquialisms. He’s one of the NBA’s most clutch performers, and one of its most entertaining.

Lillard does not carry the defensive weight of other names on this list, thus he doesn’t rank higher, but the offensive production is elite. If Portland can continue to climb in the standings, then there’s a real chance voters start to favor Lillard.