With the NBA regular season nearing its halfway mark, one question that arises is that of who the most valuable player of the league is. Several names have been mentioned which include the likes of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but there is one player who has proved himself time and again, and more so in the absence of his co-star. That is none other than Joel Embiid.

In the 76ers’ most recent win against the Pelicans, Embiid dropped 42 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead his team. His performance through the season so far has garnered the support of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and in a recent post-game show, Shaq explained why Embiid is his choice for MVP.

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Joel Embiid – The Baddest Player in the League

The Most Valuable Player is one who dominates every game, regardless of who the opposition is. That is what Shaq had to say about why Embiid was his MVP of the season so far.

“I just hope that Jo don’t get penalized, because over the last 10-15 years it’s been unclear to me what the definition of the Most Valuable Player is,” said Shaq.

“I always thought Most Valuable Player was a single award, which means you’re the baddest guy in the league. And the baddest guy in the league right now is Joel Embiid,” he explained.

“But hopefully the media doesn’t penalize him with another guy who is close and his team has a better record,” added Shaq.

Shaq also mentioned that Embiid stepped up despite Ben Simmons choosing not to play so far. Now paired up with Tobias Harris, the duo has led the 76ers to the 6th seed in the East alongside a cast of role players who have played fearlessly.

What makes Embiid the MVP?

Embiid has been on a tear this season averaging 29 points a game so far. Additionally, he put on a 50 point show in a win against the Magic in the fewest minutes during the shot-clock era. As of now, Embiid has the second-highest player impact index of 21.1.

What separates him from LeBron and Giannis are the big three that the Lakers and Bucks have, but the 76ers don’t. This only means that the load on Embiid is far higher in comparison to the others. Evidence of this fact is the Usage Percentage statistic, which shows that Embiid’s usage percentage is the highest of the league at 36.8.

With the second half of the season approaching, the 76ers will look to capitalize on every opportunity they can get. Added to this, Embiid will finally want to give the fans the true result of the ‘Process,’ – an NBA Championship.

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Who do you think will win the MVP award this season. Let us know in the comments below.