After finishing second the past two seasons, Joel Embiid finally broke through to win his first-ever NBA MVP award.
Here at SBOTOP, we made the case as to why Embiid deserves to win. He basically took his game to a whole new level this season, and he’s not to be denied this time.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference, Kyrie Irving and Dillon Brooks are being talked about because of their free agency status, as both of them will hit the market this summer.
And there’s bad news if you’re a Suns fan because Chris Paul suffered another untimely injury, which would swing the NBA 2023 odds more in favour of the Nuggets.
Here is today’s roundup of the latest NBA 2023 updates.
Embiid wins first MVP in a landslide
Joel Embiid won his first-ever MVP by beating out the two previous winners of this prestigious award, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Embiid earned 73 of a possible 100 first-place votes for the convincing win, while Jokic had 15 first-place votes and Antetokounmpo had 12.
“It’s been a long time coming, a lot of hard work. I’ve been through a lot, and I’m not just talking about basketball. It feels good. I don’t know what to say, it’s amazing,” said Embiid following his MVP announcement.
This season, the Sixers center was nothing short of dominant, as he averaged a league-high 33.1 points on 55-per cent shooting, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He is the main reason why the Sixers finished as the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 54-28 record.
Embiid is the first Sixer to be named MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001, and he’s also the third center in franchise history to earn the award after Moses Malone and Wilt Chamberlain.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, Embiid’s scoring has gone down in the postseason so far at 20 points per game, although he’s still contributing well in other areas: 11.3 rebounds, four assists, and 2.3 blocks per game.
The Sixers have been without their MVP for the past two games, as Embiid has been dealing with a knee injury that he sustained in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Nets.
But they managed to steal Game 1 against Boston to take a 1-0 series lead because of James Harden’s 45-point outburst, and Embiid has been upgraded to questionable ahead of Game 2 by Wednesday.
Brooks and Irving’s futures uncertain
Dillon Brooks and Kyrie Irving are two notable free agents this summer, and it remains to be seen where they’ll end up.
There’s a huge possibility that Dillon Brooks will have to play in another professional league because the Grizzlies are done with him following a disappointing run in this season’s playoffs.
Brooks was known more for his off-court antics than his play during their first-round series against the Lakers. He tried to “poke the bear” in LeBron James, but that backfired as he was ejected in Game 3 and his overall production decreased.
In the said series, he only averaged 10.5 points per game while shooting 31-per cent from the field and only 24-per cent from three. When the Grizzlies were eliminated after six games, Brooks was also fined $25,000 for refusing to speak with reporters after losses to the Lakers.
As for Kyrie Irving, he was once linked to the Lakers, but the interest has reportedly cooled off. The most realistic option for him is to stay with the Mavericks.
Irving had a miserable time in Dallas last season as the team regressed and went 38-44, missing the playoffs and even the play-in tournament.
In the 20 regular season games that he played for the Mavericks last season, Irving was still productive, having averaged 27 points, five rebounds, and six assists on 51-per cent shooting from the field.
Major injury blow for the Suns
The Suns must find a way to win games without Chris Paul, who is going to be re-evaluated for at least one week due to a groin strain.
Chris Paul checked out of the game with 4:32 remaining in the third period of Game 2 after trying to box out Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a rebound.
Paul, who will turn 38 this weekend, has been plagued with injuries throughout his career. Because he needs at least one week before rejoining the team, Paul is likely to miss Games 3 and 4.
Phoenix are trailing 2-0 to Denver, so they have no choice but to be without their veteran floor general. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Deandre Ayton will all have to shoulder the load.
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