Sixers: Joel Embiid’s final spot on 2021 MVP ladder

NBA MVP candidate #2: Joel Embiid

The Sixers earned the No. 1 seed in the East and have been anchored on both sides of the ball by Joel Embiid. This has been Embiid’s career-defining season — a leap from extremely talented All-Star to one of the best of the best in the NBA.

With season averages of 28.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 blocks on .513/.377/.859 shooting splits, Embiid proved to be the league’s most physically dominant scorer in 2021. Defenses had no answer in the post. Defenders who once stifled Embiid turned to traffic cones. Defenses who once had him solved turned hapless.

Embiid made improvements at every level. He became more efficient in the post, with quicker reads and fewer turnovers. He become a Kobe/Dirk-hybrid from mid-range incorporating several iconic moves into his repertoire. He also become a rock-solid 3-point shooter who spent most of the season at or over the 40 percent mark.

On top of his brilliance as a scorer and offensive hub, Embiid is still a truly great defender. While this was not his most iconic season on that end — in part because Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle have sucked up a lot of attention — there aren’t many players more impactful than Embiid when he’s locked in. The Sixers’ All-Star is nimble in space and a stone wall at the rim. He deserves a top-two finish, even after missing the games he missed.