The Sixer Sense
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Sixers: Joel Embiid has entered the MVP race

By Christopher Kline

(Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

NBA MVP ladder (Tier 3)

Embiid has entered the MVP race. He’s not a frontrunner — there is too much firepower atop the NBA standings right now — but he is in the race, and his trajectory is pointed straight up. Let’s break down the race into tiers.

THE FRINGE CANDIDATES

  • 13. Jimmy Butler
    • 23.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 50.0 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 87.1 FT%

Missed games are the biggest knock on Butler’s case right now. He has played 23 games (three fewer than Embiid), and Miami has been surprisingly competent in his absence. Even so, not many players can match Butler’s two-way contributions for a winning team — especially on the perimeter, where Butler will almost assuredly earn another first team All-Defense bid.

  • 12. Zach LaVine
    • 26.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 49.7 FG%, 42.0 3P%, 85.7 FT%

The Bulls are in first place! LaVine is probably the best player on that team, even if he’s not having the best individual season. He deserves a lot of credit. Not long ago, we were questioning if LaVine was a winning player. Now, he’s one of the most varied and explosive offensive threats in the game.

  • 11. James Harden
    • 22.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 9.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 41.5 FG%, 32.9 3P%, 86.8 FT%

James Harden really struggled out of the gate, but he has turned things around lately. This has been Harden’s least productive season in a while, and he’s still putting up absurd numbers on a championship contender. His mastery of the offense has carried over from the Houston days, even if he’s carrying a smaller workload next to Kevin Durant (and now Kyrie Irving).

  • 10. Ja Morant
    • 25.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 48.9 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 77.2 FT%

The Grizzlies are in fourth place right now. The roster around Morant has improved, sure, but the main reason for Memphis’ ascent has been Morant’s explosion. He has gone from a fringe All-Star candidate to a player who should be starting in the All-Star game. With his speed, playmaking instincts, and improved 3-point stoke, Morant looks practically unguardable right now.