76ers' Joel Embiid Feels He's Still in the MVP Discussion

Joel Embiid believes he deserves to be in the MVP conversation still.

For a large portion of this season, Joel Embiid was looked at as the clear-cut favorite to win the MVP award. Between his dominant numbers and the Sixers sitting atop the Eastern Conference, there was no doubt the All-Star would be in the mix to be honored with the hardware. 

Things changed after his scary fall against the Wizards a few weeks back. After missing ten games with what was listed as a bone bruise, many wondered if he would meet the criteria to still be in the discussion. 

Since then, Embiid has returned to the court and reminded everyone why he was looked at as the MVP favorite, to begin with. In his most recent outing against the Thunder, he would go for 27 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks in just 27 minutes of action. 

After Saturday's game, Embiid would be asked about returning after all his MVP buzz. He would go on to say he feels he still deserves to be in the discussion for the award.

"When it comes to the MVP stuff, I feel like I'm still right there. When I'm on the floor, I feel like I've been the best all season. Just doing my thing, just dominating. I've been dominant all season, and I'm not gonna stop," he said. 

It is clear that Embiid still has his sights on winning his first MVP, but he also understands there is a bigger task at hand. He would wrap things up by saying the bigger goal is going into the playoffs healthy to help this team compete for a championship. 

There is no denying that Embiid has been one of if not the most dominant player in the league when on the floor this season. The number of missed games could hurt his case, but his stats and impact on the Sixers' success this season speak for themselves. 

In the end, it is great to hear he is still locked in on the biggest goal. He understands the goal this year is to be the last team standing, and he seems ready to do whatever it takes to get there. 

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.