Joel Embiid is having an eye-catching season that has put him not only as one of the best players currently, but also one of the best players to ever live. A question people ask is,” Should Joel Embiid win MVP?” The answer is yes, and it’s not even close. 

Embiid continued his historic season against the Hornets on Saturday, January 20th. He recorded 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. This performance adds him to an exclusive club, with James Harden and Wilt Chamberlain being the only players to score 30-plus points in 20 straight games.

So far, Embiid is averaging 36.2 points in 34.2 minutes per game. If he keeps this up, he joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only basketball player who averaged more points than minutes in a single season. Wilt Chamberlain did this in 1962, when the level of competition was not the same as today, and he benefited from being taller than everybody else in the league. 

Embiid joined another historic club when he had 70 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes against the Spurs. Not only is this a franchise record for most points, but it makes him the only player in NBA history to score 70 points in just 37 minutes of playing time. Even his old teammate, now ESPN analyst JJ Redick, said after he dropped 70,” The production and efficiency that Joel Embiid is having right now is all time.” 

Not only do I think Embiid is the best scoring player in the NBA right now, but ESPN Anchor Stephen A, Smith, who stars on his debate show first take, also said,” He [Embiid] is the best scorer in the NBA.” Not only do fans think he is, but experts like Stephen A. Smith see what Joel Embiid is doing.

People say that Embiid is not on the same level as some other superstars in the NBA. Yet this season, Embiid has more 40-point games than Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, LeBron James, Devin Booker, and Nikola Jokic combined.

Despite all the evidence, many still argue whether “Joel Embiid should win the MVP award” because of his injuries and how many games he plays. Embiid has played 33 games to Jokic’s 45 games. Yet Embiid still has more total points than him this season. However, not only do his impressive statistics speak for themselves, but also his success in leading the Philadelphia Sixers to a win against the Denver Nuggets on January 28th with a score of 126-121. In that game, Embiid recorded an impressive 41 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Sixers are also currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference and have more wins than the Nuggets.

Embiid is fourth in career point averages of all time. He is averaging 27.9 in his career. He is only behind Wilt, Michael Jordan, and Luka Doncic. The scary part is that Embiid is only getting better. Ultimately, it’s time to start talking about Joel Embiid as not only one of the best bigs of his generation but also one of the greatest scorers ever to live.