Lakers' Patrick Beverley Discusses Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic
Joel Embiid has established himself as one of the NBA’s most dominant players over the last couple of years. Two seasons ago, the Philadelphia 76ers star finished second in the MVP race, losing to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
To follow-up, Embiid had another fantastic season in 2021-2022 as he played in a career-high of 68 games and led the entire NBA in the scoring department. Unfortunately, Embiid didn’t win the media over once again to hoist the MVP hardware. Instead, Jokic was crowned the back-to-back winner.
Embiid has struggled to get enough votes from the media in the MVP race, but many notable players have considered Embiid their pick to win MVP last season.
To no surprise, Sixers guard James Harden mentioned he believes Embiid should’ve won. Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant also would’ve crowned Embiid the MVP if it were up to him.
Add Los Angeles Lakers veteran Patrick Beverley to the "Embiid for MVP" campaign. Earlier this week, Beverley discussed Embiid on an episode of The Pat Bev Podcast. While Beverley didn’t want to take anything away from the two-time MVP Jokic, he’s under the belief that Embiid is the more dominant player.
“He is the most dominant player in the NBA,” said Beverley regarding Embiid. “[He’s a] monster. I’m not saying… No discredit to (Nikola) Jokic. Zero. He’s in a league of his own, obviously. But Joel is… Yeah, you gotta send the whole thing at him. Everything.”
A healthy Embiid is a handful for Sixers opponents on both sides of the ball. As Embiid strives to be the best defensive player in the NBA, he takes pride in swatting shots and making it difficult for players to score in the paint.
On the offensive side of the ball, Embiid is one of the most versatile players in the game. While he can dominate down low like a traditional center would, Embiid has grown into a three-level scorer as he displays a smooth mid-range jumper and poses a threat from deep.
An MVP trophy might be in Embiid’s future, but ringing endorsements from players around the league could mean more in the end, considering the big man draws rave reviews from guys he competes against.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
