Joel Embiid is one of the top contenders to win the NBA’s MVP award, but he is not the current favorite. The man favored to win the award is Denver’s Nikola Jokic, however upsetting that is to some in the media.
Embiid recognizes he may not win MVP and has accepted that.
“I could get sad and mad about it, but I feel like everything that happens in my life happens for a reason,” Embiid told ESPN for a cover story. “And if the MVP wasn’t supposed to be mine this year, I guess maybe it is not.”
Embiid is maintaining a positive attitude and has even figured how not winning MVP could turn out to be a good thing.
“But the positive that I also took away from it, is that maybe that’s what keeps me healthy to make sure I’m ready for the playoffs. Because if I were to chase after the MVP, maybe I would have burnt out like two years ago.”
Many online sportsbooks have Jokic as such a heavy favorite that he seems like a near lock to win. Embiid is likely to finish second, with Steph Curry also in the mix. But if Embiid is able to do something greater like advance deep into the playoffs, he will probably feel at peace with things.
The four-time All-Star is averaging a career-high 29.2 points per game, along with 10.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.4 blocks per game for the 76ers.
