Joel Embiid Leads ESPN's MVP Straw Poll Going Into All-Star Break

The 2021-2022 NBA season is more than halfway through. After the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, they won't see the court

The 2021-2022 NBA season is more than halfway through. After the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, they won't see the court again until next Friday, when they pay a visit to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With 25 games left to go for the Sixers, the MVP race is really beginning to heat up. And once again, Sixers center Joel Embiid is at the top of the charts. Last year, Embiid was arguably the leader for the award going into the All-Star break.

But after the big man returned to the court following the break, he suffered a significant injury, which kept him out of the mix for ten-straight games. At that point, Embiid missed a ton of games, which swayed voters in a different direction.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic took home the hardware. Embiid was the league's runner-up. Fast forward to now, and the two bigs are in a similar position with the roles reversed. Embiid is more than likely in the lead for the award, but the reigning MVP remains right behind him, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

The Straw Poll Results

"To gauge where the race stands with less than two months remaining in the regular season, ESPN asked 100 media members to participate in an informal poll that mimics the postseason awards voting. To make the balloting as realistic as possible, there were at least two voters from each of the league's 28 markets, as well as a cross-section of national and international reporters. Votes were collected between Sunday and Tuesday."

In the first straw poll earlier this year, Embiid received just one fifth-place vote for the MVP award. That came after a slow start to the season and a battle with COVID-19, which kept the big man off the floor for a notable chunk of games.

Once Embiid returned and was able to shake off some rust, he's been one of the most dominant players in the NBA. After returning from his nine-game absence, Embiid appeared in 36 of 38 games for the Sixers. During that time, he averaged 31 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists while draining 50-percent of his shots from the field and 35-percent of his shots from three. Now, he leads the straw poll.

Since last season, Embiid has made the case for being the NBA's most valuable player, but his lack of availability at times held him back. As long as he can stay healthy down the final stretch of the regular season while maintaining his high level of play, there is a strong chance he'll take home the hardware this season.

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