Joel Embiid is having an outstanding season but his name often gets left out of the MVP conversation and Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell isn’t happy about it.
Embiid made history this season after recording 59 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in November – the first player to tally over 50 points, ten rebounds, five blocks and five assists since the NBA started counting blocks in the 1970s.
He has also been remarkably consistent with averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game on 53.7 percent shooting from the field.
“I think Joel needs to be highly regarded as well,” Mitchell said during his All-Star media availability. “I think he gets highly disrespected. He’s a guy that consistently, every night, puts on for his group. And even in the past year with the whole Ben [Simmons] situation, not knowing who was going to be on the floor, and he continues to carry his team. I think he deserves a lot of respect in that race [the MVP race] as well.”
Embiid was voted in for his sixth All-Star appearance this year as a reserve, but the league announced on Friday that Embiid, as well as Utah’s Lauri Markkanen and Memphis’ Ja Morant, are going to start in place of injured players Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson and Stephen Curry.
The 28-year-old has been dealing with foot problems for the whole season but has still managed to play in 45 of Philadelphia’s 57 games.