76ers' Joel Embiid Tops Recent MVP Ladder

Following his return to playing, the Cameroonian superstar sits at pole position to repeat as the MVP.

It's safe to say that Joel Embiid has made his return, following a tumultuous few weeks that were riddled with time on the sideline for the Cameroonian superstar.

Due to the seven missed games in the last month, there was reason to believe that Embiid's MVP stock would fall, despite still putting up a league-high 35 points per game, while also ranking highly in other categories; but it hasn't.

According to the most recent MVP Ladder put out by the NBA, the 28-year-old remains at the top spot, over the likes of Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Back-to-back 41-PT performances and a week of dominance by the Sixers keeps Joel Embiid atop @MikeCWright's NBA App #KiaMVP Ladder!

See the full list: https://t.co/MmqXzInkDQ pic.twitter.com/F64wd6h1oe

— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2024

In the two games since Embiid's most recent injury stint, he has made it apparent that he is still the favorite, igniting a 41-point performance against the Houston Rockets in his first game back, doing so in three and a half quarters of play.

Yet, perhaps the most enthralling performance came against Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, when the reigning MVP put on a master class, scoring 41 points on 59-percent shooting, while also showing off his playmaking skills, dishing out ten assists.

Due to Embiid's efforts, the 25-point, 19-rebound performance from the Serbian giant was muffled, giving the Sixers their third straight win.

Granted, while Embiid came out on top in that match, he was seen telling Jokic that "he's the best player in the league", so there is some respect between the two frontrunners for the league's most prestigious award.

In the following two matchups, Embiid built on his progress with impressive showings against the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Hornets. He wrapped up this week's slate by averaging 37 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.