Four seconds into the regular season finale, Mikal Bridges fouled an opponent and checked out of the game but unlike what usually pertains in games, Bridges didn’t check back into the game. Further unusual moments took place as Bridges’ exit was greeted with a round of applause and approval by fans gathered inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Bridges, for a very brief time on the court against the Philadelphia Sixers, ensured the former Phoenix Suns small forward had played every regular season game since getting drafted into the NBA as a first round pick in the 2018 Draft. Bridges’ act was a flat out stat padding move but rather than getting frowned at for his actions, Bridges was applauded in a move that represents the narrative about the NBA’s regular season.
At a time when top players in the league are consistently missing games due to load management, applauding a man who has played 392 regular season games in a row is just right.
While the Nets will go on to lose 105-134 to Sixers in the season finale before switching attention to play against the same team in the NBA playoffs on Saturday, they did so without the Sixers’ biggest star, Joel Embiid.
Embiid, unsurprisingly, missed the encounter to keep himself from getting injured in a game with academic consequences especially considering Embiid’s very shaky injury record.
After an excellent season recording averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks, Embiid is locked on to win his first Most Valuable Player award in his career contrary to the expectation heading into the season. Winning the award would end Nikola Jokic’s stranglehold on the Maurice Podoloff trophy after winning the prestigious title two years in a row. (Click highlighted text to read full story)
Embiid’s MVP win will also mean Jokic doesn’t end up as the fourth player in NBA history to win the title three times in a row after fellow centers Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell and small forward Larry Bird.
While Jokic has a big reason to win the title after another excellent campaign with the Denver Nuggets, Embiid, the Cameroon born, French international and American citizen, is the inevitable winner this season and it’s all down to an extra dimension Jokic doesn’t have.
American sports journalist, Nick Wright, has argued for Embiid to win the MVP title based on Embiid’s excellence in three categories, top moments, the numbers –statistics- and history.
A stand out moment in the just-ended regular season was Embiid picking apart Jokic and Nuggets in a showdown between the two top centers. Embiid delivered a whopping 47 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and three steals in a 126-119 win over Nuggets with Jokic registering 24 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and two blocks.
That was the definitely the top moment in the MVP race even if Embiid missed the reverse fixture since Jokic didn’t do much to separate himself from Embiid. Jokic put up a 25 points, 12 assists and 17 rebounds triple double performance in the 116-111 win but the larger conversation was down to Nuggets’ struggles in putting away a Nets team that played without Embiid and James Harden.
Embiid’s numbers have been spelt out and his history is one that speaks of close proximity to the title to make it a natural ascent to the throne. He ended the 2021-2022 season as the league’s scoring leader and repeated the feat in this season regular campaign.
There is also the subject of Embiid voicing his frustration over missing out on the MVP award that gives more context to the backstory of his quest to win the MVP award.
Believe it or not, it does play a role in determining the outcome of such races; think of Rudy Gobert openly sobbing before the cameras after missing out on a place in the NBA All-Star. Since then, Gobert has been named to the All Star Game in three straights seasons.
As close as the MVP race has been this season between Jokic and Embiid with both players checking the box in the three dimensions (Jokic almost averaged a triple double for the entire season after registering 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists), there is the fourth dimension that puts Embiid slightly ahead of Jokic. That fourth dimension is defense. Per StatMuse, Giannis Antetokounmpo- another contender for the MVP title with a massively legitimate case to win- led the league in player defensive ratings for players with at least 2000 minutes under their belt.
Fifth on the list is Joel Embiid with Jokic checking in eighth on the list and that difference in position on the ratings list is key to put Embiid ahead of Jokic in the MVP race. The stats further confirm what the eye test shows and the perception out there in the world of basketball that Jokic is a poor defender who is targeted by opposing teams when they attack.
A big example of a team exploiting this weakness was Toronto Raptors in its comeback 125-110 win over Nuggets in March.
In an era where the star players of the NBA are shooting guards, point guards and athletic small forwards, hulking big centers are often seen as relics who don’t belong in the modern iteration of the sport in the same way football looks down on center forwards or the number “9” position but the centers are making a comeback.
James Harden won the MVP award in the 2017-2018 season and since that time, all winners of the award (four in all) stand 6 foot 11 inches and above and are bona fide big men. That run is due to be extended by another as Jokic or Embiid is bound to win the title; something that will make Shaquille O’Neal happy.
However, between these giants, Embiid has a slim lead and should be named MVP of the 2022-2023 season.
