Let’s get one thing straight. Nothing you are about to read is intended to indicate that Joel Embiid sacrificed himself precisely to save humanity by deciding to sit out Monday night against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets.
Still, we should at least give the big man an appreciative nod for ending this year’s NBA MVP debate before it could completely destroy polite society. The real heroes are the consensus builders, and Embiid somehow found a way to make it better for everyone. He and the Sixers get a chance to focus on the postseason. Everyone else gets a brain that isn’t soup anymore.
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It is this first part that matters.
It would be easy to view Embiid’s absence Monday night as a form of surrender. At least that’s how Nuggets fans saw it. After it was revealed that Embiid would not be up against its main competitor for this year’s MVP trophy, someone in Denver printed fake missing persons posters and distributed them throughout the ball arena.
And, hey, they have a point. This was Embiid’s chance to remind voters that despite Jokic’s gaudy stat line, he’s the big man you want on your side the most if your goal is to win a basketball game. Instead, Jokic spun a triple-double, the Sixers lost their fourth of five, and Embiid watched it all from the bench.
You can argue that none of this should matter. Embiid’s statistical case for MVP is stronger than ever. His scoring average of 33.3 points per game is not only the best in the NBA this season. It’s historical. Only 10 players have ever reached this threshold. Only three have made it in the last 35 years: James Harden, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. It’s also 8.4 points above Jokic’s average, a gap almost big enough to wipe out Jokic’s +5.8 lead in assists. After factoring in the eye test and the huge advantage Embiid’s defensive impact provides, Jokic’s MVP resume relies mostly on semantics. That is, to define “value” as what Jokic offers.
Sixers center Joel Embiid with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic on Saturday, January 28, 2023 in Philadelphia.. … Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Of course, MVP is first and foremost a semantic award, and the MVP voters have already decided that a season like Jokic’s deserves the name more than a season like Embiid’s. Anyone who saw Jokic as the MVP of the last two seasons will find it difficult to make a different choice this year. His numbers are the same, his efficiency is better, and his team has the best record in the Western Conference.
Embiid’s best chance to prove himself was to prove it head-on. His decision not to do so was particularly detrimental as his unavailability remains the most compelling argument against his MVP candidacy. The conversation is now as good as over.
But it’s fine anyway.
It can be argued that Embiid’s MVP fixation sounds hollow when he can’t bring himself to even face off against the one guy who gets in his way. But the more you think about it, the more you should realize it’s a feather in its cap. It’s an indication that for all the talk of individual recognition, Embiid continues to prioritize his team’s upcoming post-season run.
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With the No. 1 now virtually impossible, the Sixers have a lot more to gain with Embiid off the court over the next few weeks than they do with him. In an ideal world, Embiid will spend the rest of the regular season preparing his body to withstand the rigors of a back-to-back playoff series against Boston and Milwaukee. That’s far better than spending that time pursuing an individual award.
At the end of the day, history will judge Embiid on his ability to free his team from the plateau they have been stranded on for the past five years. If he truly is the best player in the NBA, or most valuable, or standout, or however you choose to define it, then his presence should give his team an inherent advantage postseason.
There’s a very good chance the Sixers’ post-season fate will depend on Embiid’s ability to dominate proceedings. His current priority should be to prepare for that eventuality. After all, the only correct MVP attitude is that it doesn’t matter.