76ers News: Former Rival Bumps Joel Embiid Down MVP Ladder

After winning the first MVP award of his career last year, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is once again in the discussion this season. However, one former rival feels there are a few other names ahead of him through the first quarter of the season.

During his 15-year stint with the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce was a thorn in the side of the Sixers' organization. Since retiring, the Hall of Fame forward has carved out a career for himself as an analyst.

Over the weekend, Pierce took to X/Twitter to share his thoughts on the MVP race. When naming his top five, he put Embiid third on the list. The two players ahead of him were OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Celtics Star Jayson Tatum. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic rounded out his top five.

SGA gotta be in the top 2 leader board today in mvp talks just saying tho . What y’all Think 🤔 SGA Tatum Embiid Giannis Luka is my rankings as of today in MVP Rankings shoot urs 🤔
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) December 17, 2023

SGA continues to play at a superstar level, and the Thunder sit in second place in the Western Conference with a record of 16-8. Through 23 games, the All-Star guard is averaging 30.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 6.4 APG.

As for Tatum, he is the top player on a team tied for the best record in the NBA (19-5). In 24 games, he is posting averages of 27.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 4.2 APG.

Both of these players are having great season, but there is no denying that Embiid has been the most dominant player in the league so far this season. It's also worth pointing out that the All-Star center is still widely regarded as the favorite to secure the award.

2023-2024 NBA MVP Odds:

51.5% - Joel Embiid (PHI)
20.3% - Nikola Jokić (DEN)
8.5% - Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
7.6% - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)
5.2% - Luka Dončić (DAL)

All MVP Odds: https://t.co/udRMSRQajq
— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) December 17, 2023

Embiid is currently leading the association in scoring (34.2 PPG) while posting a career-high in assists (6.0). As the Sixers continue to extend their win streak, they also have one of the best records in the NBA at 18-7.

Pierce might not feel as strongly about it, but Embiid seems well on his way to repeating as league MVP in 2024.