Contextualising Sixers-Nuggets March 27

Jokic and Embiid have had a storied rivalry since the emergence of the two centers from the 2014 draft board. Let's delve into what this year's MVP would to mean to either, and guage the chances of either one winning it.

Matchups between the Nuggets and 76ers inevitably elicit conversations about their superstar centers and both of their MVP candidacies. Jokic, a pass-first maestro that, in many ways, is himself an offensive system and Embiid, a 2-way unrelenting dominance that can score on all 3 levels. Some would argue that if Jokic wins a third straight MVP, the rivalry would cease to exist, perhaps raising questions as to whether or not it existed in the first place. Let's delve into the context of this season's MVP race.

As of late, Denver has taken a step back from the impressive form they showed throughout the first half of the season, having started the season at a blazing 30-13 but going 19-11 in their last 30 games, and 5-5 in their last 10. This could be for a few reasons, but it seems like the biggest issue the Nuggets are currently facing is maintaining a high level of play when leaving Denver. The Nuggets also have the second best home record in the league, going 30-6 (it is also important to note here that the high elevation in Colorado could play a big role in this), but struggle immensely when being hosted by another city, with a record of only 19-18. The sudden drop off of winning basketball has taken many by surprise, especially seeing as many of these losses are coming from teams that are nowhere near the title picture. The Nuggets have a 3.5 game cushion over the 2-seeded Grizzlies, and will need to pick up the pace if they are to enjoy the home court advantages they would experience come playoff time.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, has recently been playing some of the best basketball they have seen since the acquisition of Joel Embiid. In the last 10 games alone, the team has gone 9-1, averaging 123.0 points on a league-best 51.4% from the field and 42% from 3. Funnily enough, much of this has been done without James Harden and with Embiid often not playing in the 4th quarter. This sort of success can largely be attributed to the energy brought by the second unit, as well as the emergence of guard Tyrese Maxey as a legitimate 2nd or 3rd option. Many wonder if this level of play can be sustained by the sixers, as such a high rate of 3-point makes are rarely carried through to the playoffs, but the squad has soundly answered the question of whether or not they are legitimate title contenders.

The Jokic-Embiid rivalry is one that has been building for a while now. Two centers in the same draft class that experienced a few shifts in the way the game was played. At the time, it was thought that the NBA was no longer a big man's league, yet these two have found themselves at the very peak of MVP conversations for the past 3 years now. Yet, they have found themselves at the mountaintop of an increasingly competitive sport.