76ers' James Harden Says Joel Embiid 'Deserves' to Win MVP

Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden thinks teammate Joel Embiid should win the 2021-22 NBA Most Valuable Player Award.

Harden, who won the 2017-18 MVP, told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne in an article published Friday that Embiid checks all the boxes to earn the league's top individual honor:

"He deserves it, man. I've only been here for a few weeks, but I already see his mindset. He wants to win. Some guys just want numbers, but he has both. He has the mentality of winning, and he scores the ball at a high level. I think he's prepared himself, especially coming off last year, for this year to be one of his best years."

Embiid has been locked in an MVP showdown with the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, the award's reigning winner, for most of the season's second half.

Other players, including the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chicago Bulls' DeMar DeRozan and Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant, have made charges throughout the campaign, but it's likely a race between the two standout centers.

Embiid has built a strong case. He ranks second in scoring (29.8), seventh in rebounding (11.3) and ninth in blocks (1.4) while averaging 4.3 assists, 1.3 threes and 1.1 steals and shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 81.9 percent from the free-throw line.

In short, he's doing it all for the Sixers, who sit third in the Eastern Conference with a 45-27 record despite playing most of the season without a second star because of Ben Simmons' absence. Philadelphia traded Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the Harden deal.

Harden thinks that team success is also a factor in why Embiid should win the award.

"Most of the games he's played this year, we've been fighting for the No. 1 seed," he told Shelburne. "And he's not only top two, top three in scoring, but he's impactful to our team winning."

Harden isn't the only former MVP to vouch for Embiid. Kevin Durant, who won the honor in 2013-14, also said last week he believes the 76ers star has earned it.

"Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, Ja Morant for me, those are my top three [for MVP], and I'll probably go Joel," Durant told reporters. "Jokic, you can throw Jokic in there. But I'll probably go Joel."

Embiid may have the inside track, but there's enough time left in the regular season for Jokic or another player to make a late charge to impress the voters.

The Sixers center will look to continue building his case Friday when Philly continues a three-game road trip against the Los Angeles Clippers.