NBA – Reigning MVP Joel Embiid is well on his way to the double, according to the 100 journalists interviewed by ESPN.
ESPN has been polling the American press for seven years now, three times during the season, to find out the trend in the MVP voting. To do this, they contact 100 journalists, covering 28 of the league’s 30 teams, and ask them to vote for their Top 5.
After two months of competition, it is Joel Embiid who leads this first ranking, and by a long way, with no fewer than 63 first places (out of 100) for a total of 848 points. It has to be said that the Philadelphia pivot, reigning MVP, seems to have taken things up a notch both individually (35.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals) and collectively (19-8, 3rd in the East).
A first 100% international Top 5?
Behind the Sixers inside man, it was his “best enemy” Nikola Jokic who came second, with 630 points for 21 first places. After that, a gap opened up, with Giannis Antetokounmpo (352 points), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (340 points) and Luka Doncic (306 points) all within a whisker of each other. Completing a 100% international Top 5, something that has never been achieved before!
American players come in between 6th and 11th place, with Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and De’Aaron Fox, while Rudy Gobert picked up 1 point!
It’s up to Joel Embiid to break the ‘curse
The fact remains that the truth in December is not necessarily the truth in May and, with around 50 games still to be played, this time last year it was Jayson Tatum who dominated ESPN’s first ranking. In 2020/21 and 2021/22, it was LeBron James and Stephen Curry, which didn’t go their way at the end of the campaign (against Nikola Jokic)…
In other words, Joel Embiid will have to be wary of the particularly tough (international) competition, as well as not slowing down the pace collectively and, above all, staying in shape so as not to miss too many games and therefore remain eligible for the end-of-season awards…
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