Giannis Antetokounmpo Surpasses Joel Embiid on NBA MVP Ladder

At this point in the season last year, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was in a two-man race for the NBA's MVP award.

With Embiid and Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic each playing at a high level, it was clear the hardware was going to one of the two centers.

Jokic had the upper hand over Embiid because he not only dominated, but he was healthy for every game of the regular season. Meanwhile, Embiid missed stretches throughout the year as injuries held him back.

That's not the case for Embiid this season. After playing in Thursday night's matchup against the Detroit Pistons, Embiid is now two games away from surpassing his previous season-high of regular-season games played.

Not only has Embiid been healthier than ever this year, but he's continued to play at a high level. Throughout the season, Embiid and Jokic were once again the dueling favorites, but another MVP candidate has entered the picture and surpassed Embiid on NBA.com's MVP ladder as the Sixers' three-game slump caused Embiid to slip.

The Greek Freak Enters the Chat

Last week, Embiid ranked at the top of the MVP ladder. Jokic was right behind him. As the Sixers went from winning three-straight over the Heat, Lakers, and the Clippers, they dropped three-straight games after facing the Suns, Bucks, and the Pistons.

Now, Embiid has been surpassed by not only Jokic -- but Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo as well.

In 63 games this year, Giannis is draining 55-percent of his shots while averaging 30.1 points per game. With key wins over the Sixers and the Nets this week, Giannis gained a slight edge over Embiid, who still has time to improve his case.

What Needs to be Done?

"The Sixers are headed in the wrong direction having lost three in a row, including Thursday’s 102-94 setback against the Detroit Pistons. But you can’t place any blame on Embiid, who racked up 18 of his game-high 37 points in the first half against the Pistons and has averaged 34.3 points and 14.7 rebounds over his last three outings. A young, hot Charlotte team comes to town on Saturday before Philadelphia embarks on a three-game road trip where it faces Cleveland, Indiana and Toronto. Embiid and the Sixers would benefit tremendously from some consistency from new addition James Harden, who shot 4 of 15 against Detroit." via Michael C. Wright of NBA.com

Although the Sixers have been underwhelming this week, Embiid cannot be blamed for their issues. But as long as Antetokounmpo is putting up slightly better numbers while his team is out in front of the Sixers in the standings, team success will play a part in the final voting.

With six games left in the regular season, Embiid has plenty of time to help his MVP case. But since the race for the top is so tight -- the big man doesn't have a lot of room for error -- especially with Giannis making a late push for his third MVP trophy.

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