Joel Embiid Explains How His MVP-Worthy Campaign Is Hurting His DPOY Chances

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the leading teams in the league. And most credit goes to one man, Joel Embiid. The All-Star center has had an MVP-worthy season putting up impressive numbers throughout the season. He has gained a lot of praise for his offensive step up this season. However, the big man thinks people forget about his contribution to the defensive end of the court.

Embiid is on a roll when it comes from an offensive standpoint. The Philly center has improved every area of his scoring and is often developing new weapons. As one of the top players of the season, Embiid is one of the leading scorers this season. Averaging a whopping 30 points per game, he is keeping the race for the scoring title neck and neck with the likes of Giannis and LeBron James.

But while on Reddick’s podcast, Embiid opened up about his impact on the defensive end and his case for DPOY.

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Joel Embiid being ignored from DPOY race?

While on Te Old Man and the Three podcast, Embiid spoke about his impact on the defensive end. He said while on the floor; the Sixers have a top 10 defense in the league. However, Reddick put up the facts proving that Embiid has the same defensive rating as the fourth-best defensive team this season. This prompted the big man to say he was not a candidate for the DPOY list because of his offensive leap.

He said: “Why don’t I get the respect for Defensive Player of The Year?” Embiid further explained, “I think its also because my offensive game, I’ve got into another step where like everybody forgets about the defensive side. I think my first year or second year, I finished top three in Defensive Player of The Year. But I think it’s because I was loud about defense. I was going after every block, I was so engaged I tried to block every single thing. Nowadays it’s like, I a just smart about it.”

As a big man, Embiid doesn’t get enough respect for his defensive efforts. While he may not be the one slowing players down. His size allows him to put a stop to almost anyone who comes into the paint. This season, he comes in with a 107.6 defensive rating which proves his value on that side. In addition, he also averages a steal and a block per game to go with his monster offensive numbers.

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With a +/- of 4.6, Embiid is surely making the Philly defense better. While he may not be a top candidate anymore, Joel Embiid sure deserves to be in the conversation for a great defensive player as well. Do you think Embiid’s offensive take-off is the reason he doesn’t get credit for his defense? Let us know in the comments below.