MVP will be determined by tomorrow's Embiid v Jokic showdown

[Gusto1903]

Thing is Embiid didn't play particularly well in the 2nd half, and he looked pretty deer in headlights down the stretch at times, lots to critique there. But 'Embiid was given a golden carpet to score all game and he's the reason the team lost' is just garbage analysis.

How so? Arent you just confirming the take with this last part?

[Lunartic]

Jokic-bros we did it,little floppster Embeady didn't get his usual 53 FTA

[BobbyPortisEyes]

I thought Embiid had a slightly better game than Jokic but that the game demonstrated why Jokic is the better, and ultimately more valuable player. Jokic is always in perfect control and has superior intelligence. He knows what his team needs at all times and makes the right plays at the right moments.

Embiid is not a dummy but he really only knows how to contribute by dominating offensively. A good example of this was the recent game against the Nets. Embiid was out-dominating and outworking everyone on the court and getting to the line at will. What he didn't realize was that he was putting his own team completely out of rhythm by doing this and also gassing himself out to the point where he didn't have much left in the tank for the rest of the game. Jokic simply plays smarter than Embiid and this is what sets the two apart.

[matt6715]

Bones Hyland for MVP

[Alatan]

Meh, neither player had a great showing. Embiid had a better game but was pretty invisible once he got into foul trouble. Jokic had good moments but had one one his meh games this time.

[nomansland]

Did anyone watch the game and the strategy that Nuggets implemented? They were getting burned by 3's (Sixers 5/7) early by leaving Thybulle so they decided to let Jokic leave Embiid to double Harden on the pick and roll. The help defense would then only hedge until Jokic could recover or partly recover. Malone wanted Embiid to be the one to score but no one else. It's a good strategy and it worked as the Sixers ended up going 7/26 the rest of thew ay from 3.

But people will say Jokic played no defense. Yet had 2 blocks and two steals. It is like they don't understand basic defensive strategies

Thank god someone here watched the game and what they kept doing. Embiid was open a good amount time and time again on purpose. This was the defensive plan

I've seen that strategy used against Jokic as well. Make the other guys beat you. And it worked.

Yeah Embiid did technically play better than Jokic tonight but if the Sixers had employed the same strategy it's conceivable Jokic would have scored 35 or more points too.

Anyway I don't care about the MVP race all that much. Whoever wins will deserve it.

I'm glad the Nuggets won more than anything. Joker would say the same.

[The Rebel]

Did anyone watch the game and the strategy that Nuggets implemented? They were getting burned by 3's (Sixers 5/7) early by leaving Thybulle so they decided to let Jokic leave Embiid to double Harden on the pick and roll. The help defense would then only hedge until Jokic could recover or partly recover. Malone wanted Embiid to be the one to score but no one else. It's a good strategy and it worked as the Sixers ended up going 7/26 the rest of thew ay from 3.

Can the uneducated sixers fanboys please acknowledge this?

Huh, this takes a solid observation about the game and turns it into some nasty hater burn. Yes the Nuggets blitzed Harden and Harden frequently found Embiid as his roll man, but a) Embiid scored a lot of points off that and b) he found other players all day off that who missed shots or flubbed plays. Niang and Green shot 2/12 from 3 after the Sixers hot start, and they had mostly great looks. The second unit got crushed and the shooters played poorly, while the Nuggets got a lot of ridiculous shooting from their b-level guys. Not sure what the 'uneducated fanboys' are missing about the fact that you have to hit shots to win close games, or that your star can play well and you can still lose if the rest of the team gets outplayed by the other team's supporting cast.

Thing is Embiid didn't play particularly well in the 2nd half, and he looked pretty deer in headlights down the stretch at times, lots to critique there. But 'Embiid was given a golden carpet to score all game and he's the reason the team lost' is just garbage analysis.

You cannot blame the 2nd unit when Embiid was in against the Nuggets bench in the 1st half and both Embiid and Harden were in against the bench in the 2nd half. Fact is the Nuggets 3rd string destroyed Embiid when it mattered most, when Embiid went 2 for 5 and putting up a -10 in the 4th quarter.

Also the Nuggets shot 39% from 3, not bad but not unordinary.

[KembaWalker]

as a neutral 3rd party who could not care less about either player or team, Jokic is obviously the MVP

[Sothron]

Jokic should be the MVP this season. He's having a better season than his MVP season just last year. He's doing it with his best two teammates missing the entire season. Who else is doing this? No one. Easy vote for Jokic for MVP.

[picc]

Embiid had a slightly better game, but part of the reason for that was the presence of a playmaker who makes his life easier. Jokic is a one man offense at the moment, and even when players get hot (Hyland) its not to his personal benefit.

[Zetsword]

Jokic should be the MVP this season. He's having a better season than his MVP season just last year. He's doing it with his best two teammates missing the entire season. Who else is doing this? No one. Easy vote for Jokic for MVP.

Luka, and one of those two best players was traded yeesh.

[Dupp]

Congrats to joker

[GeorgeMarcus]

Can the uneducated sixers fanboys please acknowledge this?

Huh, this takes a solid observation about the game and turns it into some nasty hater burn. Yes the Nuggets blitzed Harden and Harden frequently found Embiid as his roll man, but a) Embiid scored a lot of points off that and b) he found other players all day off that who missed shots or flubbed plays. Niang and Green shot 2/12 from 3 after the Sixers hot start, and they had mostly great looks. The second unit got crushed and the shooters played poorly, while the Nuggets got a lot of ridiculous shooting from their b-level guys. Not sure what the 'uneducated fanboys' are missing about the fact that you have to hit shots to win close games, or that your star can play well and you can still lose if the rest of the team gets outplayed by the other team's supporting cast.

Thing is Embiid didn't play particularly well in the 2nd half, and he looked pretty deer in headlights down the stretch at times, lots to critique there. But 'Embiid was given a golden carpet to score all game and he's the reason the team lost' is just garbage analysis.

You cannot blame the 2nd unit when Embiid was in against the Nuggets bench in the 1st half and both Embiid and Harden were in against the bench in the 2nd half. Fact is the Nuggets 3rd string destroyed Embiid when it mattered most, when Embiid went 2 for 5 and putting up a -10 in the 4th quarter.

Also the Nuggets shot 39% from 3, not bad but not unordinary.

Sixers beat the Nugs when Embiid and Jokic shared the court

[The Rebel]

Huh, this takes a solid observation about the game and turns it into some nasty hater burn. Yes the Nuggets blitzed Harden and Harden frequently found Embiid as his roll man, but a) Embiid scored a lot of points off that and b) he found other players all day off that who missed shots or flubbed plays. Niang and Green shot 2/12 from 3 after the Sixers hot start, and they had mostly great looks. The second unit got crushed and the shooters played poorly, while the Nuggets got a lot of ridiculous shooting from their b-level guys. Not sure what the 'uneducated fanboys' are missing about the fact that you have to hit shots to win close games, or that your star can play well and you can still lose if the rest of the team gets outplayed by the other team's supporting cast.

Thing is Embiid didn't play particularly well in the 2nd half, and he looked pretty deer in headlights down the stretch at times, lots to critique there. But 'Embiid was given a golden carpet to score all game and he's the reason the team lost' is just garbage analysis.

You cannot blame the 2nd unit when Embiid was in against the Nuggets bench in the 1st half and both Embiid and Harden were in against the bench in the 2nd half. Fact is the Nuggets 3rd string destroyed Embiid when it mattered most, when Embiid went 2 for 5 and putting up a -10 in the 4th quarter.

Also the Nuggets shot 39% from 3, not bad but not unordinary.

Sixers beat the Nugs when Embiid and Jokic shared the court

And we were missing 3 starters which allowed you guys to triple Jokic and Barton was worthless. Of course you needed that triple because your supposed great defender had no chance against Jokic and fouled him as fast as I have ever seen someone get called for fouls. Not to mention the Nuggets beat the sixers in The 4th quarter with and without Jokic.

[The Rebel]

Jokic should be the MVP this season. He's having a better season than his MVP season just last year. He's doing it with his best two teammates missing the entire season. Who else is doing this? No one. Easy vote for Jokic for MVP.

Luka, and one of those two best players was traded yeesh.

Luka doesn't belong in the conversation with the way he started the season.

[GeorgeMarcus]

You cannot blame the 2nd unit when Embiid was in against the Nuggets bench in the 1st half and both Embiid and Harden were in against the bench in the 2nd half. Fact is the Nuggets 3rd string destroyed Embiid when it mattered most, when Embiid went 2 for 5 and putting up a -10 in the 4th quarter.

Also the Nuggets shot 39% from 3, not bad but not unordinary.

Sixers beat the Nugs when Embiid and Jokic shared the court

And we were missing 3 starters which allowed you guys to triple Jokic and Barton was worthless. Of course you needed that triple because your supposed great defender had no chance against Jokic and fouled him as fast as I have ever seen someone get called for fouls. Not to mention the Nuggets beat the sixers in The 4th quarter with and without Jokic.

I need to dig up the numbers but Embiid almost always beats Jokic when they're on the court together. Relatively small sample but still significant. I like to think the 4th quarter would have panned out differently if not having to fly home from Orlando from an OT game the night before. I'm not here to slander Jokic but he certainly didn't outplay Embiid last night

[Gusto1903]

Sixers beat the Nugs when Embiid and Jokic shared the court

And we were missing 3 starters which allowed you guys to triple Jokic and Barton was worthless. Of course you needed that triple because your supposed great defender had no chance against Jokic and fouled him as fast as I have ever seen someone get called for fouls. Not to mention the Nuggets beat the sixers in The 4th quarter with and without Jokic.

I need to dig up the numbers but Embiid almost always beats Jokic when they're on the court together. Relatively small sample but still significant. I like to think the 4th quarter would have panned out differently if not having to fly home from Orlando from an OT game the night before. I'm not here to slander Jokic but he certainly didn't outplay Embiid last night

So why cant he win against the depleted Nuggets Team?
At the end of the day, basketball is a team game.

[Wolfgang630]

People here care more about the stats. Ask Embiid he’ll take the Win with worse stats if that’s what it takes.

[Gusto1903]

People here care more about the stats. Ask Embiid he’ll take the Win with worse stats if that’s what it takes.

Yeah, but Jokic does it, not just say it

[eathb_au]

Sixers beat the Nugs when Embiid and Jokic shared the court

And we were missing 3 starters which allowed you guys to triple Jokic and Barton was worthless. Of course you needed that triple because your supposed great defender had no chance against Jokic and fouled him as fast as I have ever seen someone get called for fouls. Not to mention the Nuggets beat the sixers in The 4th quarter with and without Jokic.

I need to dig up the numbers but Embiid almost always beats Jokic when they're on the court together. Relatively small sample but still significant. I like to whthink the 4th quarter would have panned out differently if not having to fly home from Orlando from an OT game the night before. I'm not here to slander Jokic but he certainly didn't outplay Embiid last night

Eh Embiid had him on points but Jokic basically topped everything else.

It was a draw if anything but people will point out that Jokic did what was needed in the 4th to win the game.