Shaq States Case for Joel Embiid to Win NBA MVP

As we're more than halfway through the 2021-2022 NBA season, the league's Most Valuable Player conversation is beginning to heat up once again. Last season,
Shaq States Case for Joel Embiid to Win NBA MVP
Shaq States Case for Joel Embiid to Win NBA MVP /

As we're more than halfway through the 2021-2022 NBA season, the league's Most Valuable Player conversation is beginning to heat up once again.

Last season, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was arguably the favorite to win the award when the All-Star break rolled around. 

This season, the situation is no different. With the big showcase less than a month away, Embiid is once again putting on a stellar campaign to win the award. And lately, many have stated their case for Embiid to be the frontrunner to win MVP right now.

Count NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal in as a Joel Embiid believer as he went to war for the Sixers' big man on Wednesday night.

Shaq States His Case for Embiid

"I just hope Joel doesn't get penalized because, over the last 10-15 years, it's been unclear to me what the definition of Most Valuable Player is," O'Neal said. "He does have my vote [right now], but there are some cuckoos that say, 'Oh, this team had a better record, so this guy's MVP.' I always thought Most Valuable Player was a single award, which means you're the baddest guy in the league. And the baddest guy in the league right now is Joel Embiid. But they're in sixth place, so hopefully, the media doesn't penalize him if another guy who's close and his team has a better record."

As the Sixers sit in sixth-place in the Eastern Conference with a 28-19 record, some argue that the team isn't good enough for Embiid to be considered for the MVP award. However, you can make two counter-points to that argument.

First, despite being in sixth place, the Sixers aren't too far from the top. As the Eastern Conference is a tight race right now, the Sixers are only 2.5 games back from the first seeded Miami Heat.

Second, it's evident the Sixers are like night and day when they are without Joel Embiid, which should be a positive factor in the argument for Embiid's case.

While the Sixers center has been relatively healthy so far this season, he's missed a handful of games earlier in the year. When he was off the court, the Sixers achieved a record of 3-8. With Embiid on the court, the Sixers center has dominated and won his team games they probably wouldn't typically win without his contributions.

There is still a lot of time left in the season. Therefore, the MVP race could change. However, based on how everything played out in the first half of the season and beyond, Embiid is certainly up there with the favorites to win MVP.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA