With eight wins and just one loss on their tally sheet, the Philadelphia 76ers have already managed to establish themselves as the team to beat this season. Right now, they are slotted in at first place in the East, and if they sustain that trajectory, they should have a serious contender to bag the Most Valuable Player award. Well, that is usually the logical consequence of having a top record, but that might not apply to this particular Philadelphia squad.
If the season ended today, Tyrese Maxey would likely be in the running to win MVP. He is the leading scorer for the 76ers, and he has arguably been their most consistent force despite their scoring attack still being in the process of simmering.
Unfortunately for him, given the way the award works, it is unlikely that he will even be seriously considered as a contender.
The 76ers may not have a serious MVP contender
More than any other award there is, the MVP trophy is one that is largely determined by narratives, and if Maxey (or any other 76ers star like Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, or even LeBron James) bags the same, it is bound to ignite a debate as to whether that player is even the most valuable one in his own team.
Philadelphia, touting five All-Star caliber players this season, is a team built on the strength of the sum of its parts. One player's exploits alone are not going to be enough to carry this squad to the top. That gregarious DNA is precisely what will prevent the 76ers from being a media darling when it comes to MVP talks in this campaign.
The widely coveted plum typically veers into players who are the undeniable alpha on a team boasting a sterling record. There is no denying that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the man in Oklahoma City. Denver has Nikola Jokic. San Antonio has Victor Wembanyama.
Someone like, say, Maxey, is not exactly as isolated as those names on his squad to be deemed a clear-cut franchise representative.
In the end, this drawback of some sort is probably something the 76ers will not even care about, at the very least. This team is on the hunt for something bigger than individual accolades, and even if they miss out on the MVP race, that will only mean that the group is too united for people to be able to single out one player as a contender for the trophy –– a good indicator for their title bid.
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