The Philadelphia 76ers look regular-season ready after a 127-108 trouncing of the Brooklyn Nets.
Tyrese Maxey was phenomenal, exploding for 20 points in just 14 minutes of action. Matisse Thybulle, while far from excellent on offense, was still a potent defensive force. Even Furkan Korkmaz had a quality start, contributing 15 points off the bench.
Sixers fans are still awaiting the debuts of James Harden and Joel Embiid, though. Both starters sat out against Brooklyn, a precaution head coach Doc Rivers discussed over the weekend. But when the two stars return, the Sixers offense should be even more potent than it was Monday night.
Much of that explosiveness depends on Embiid. The Cameroonian big man is coming off a season in which he won the league’s scoring title and finished runner up in MVP voting for the second straight season to Denver’s Nikola Jokic. And in a recently released poll of NBA execs, Embiid is still second-fiddle to the Nuggets’ big man.
Here’s how the voting for the league’s best center shook up:
Who is the best center in the NBA?
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver – 79%
2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia – 17%
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 3%
According to the recent NBA GM Survey:
14% of GM’s expect Joel Embiid to win MVP
7% say Embiid forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments
17% say Embiid is the best center in the NBA
79% say Nikola Jokic is the best center
17% say Sixers had best offseason moves
It’s not the only time Embiid finished behind his superstar peers in the execs poll.
Embiid Finishes Third in Projected MVP Voting
The same execs who named Jokic far and away the best big man in basketball also weighed in on MVP odds next season. While no player won a majority of votes, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic earned 48% of the projected MVP votes. Only 14% of execs polled gave Embiid the early nod.
Here’s how the final MVP voting played out:
Who will win the 2022-23 Kia MVP?
1. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 48%
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 34%
3. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia – 14%
4. Stephen Curry, Golden State – 3%
The voting echoes sentiments authored by Tim Bontemps and Kevin Pelton of ESPN. Back in August, the two NBA insiders projected Embiid to finish behind Antetokounpo in MVP voting this season.
It’s worth noting how significantly wrong these votes can be with a little hindsight. For instance, the same voters favored Kevin Durant to win MVP last season. But after the Nets turned in one of the wackiest seasons in recent memory last season, there was no chance Durant was going to win the award. In fact, Durant didn’t even make First-Team All-NBA last season.
While the voting tends to change from year to year, some players’ greatness carries over from year to year.
Embiid Forces Opposing Coaches to Make Adjustments
Given Embiid’s ability on both ends of the floor, there’s no question he’s a monster to game plan for. But does he force the most adjustments? Not quite; that honor goes to Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.
Which player forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments?
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State – 52%
T-2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 14%
T-2. Nikola Jokic, Denver – 14%
T-4. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia – 7%
T-4. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 7%
» Also receiving votes: Kevin Durant, Brooklyn; Ja Morant, Memphis
Last year, Curry was the winner, with a mere 27% of execs claiming he is requires the most adjustments. In the latest edition, that number almost doubled, a clear acknowledgment of Curry’s greatness after yet another Warriors title.
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Joel Embiid vs Nikola Jokic Debate Reignited by Recent Poll