Kia MVP Ladder: Joel Embiid overtakes Nikola Jokic for No. 1 spot

Amid a tussle at the top, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has usurped Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic for the No. 1 spot in the Washington Post’s Kia MVP Ladder.

The two have been engaged in a battle for the top position for several weeks, with Jokic having held the mantle since December. However, Embiid has surged in recent weeks and, as of Monday, he has taken the top spot.

The Sixers’ big man has been impressive since the All-Star break, averaging 28.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three-point range. His stellar play has helped Philadelphia to a 14-3 record since the break and has placed the team in the driver’s seat in the Eastern Conference, which it currently sits atop.

Meanwhile, Jokic has continued to be a force, averaging 26.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and 8.8 assists while shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three-point range since the All-Star break. But, despite his strong play, the Nuggets have struggled, going just 8-7 since the break, and that has been the difference in the MVP race.

Embiid’s ascension to the top spot is a testament to his improved play this season. The big man has been one of the league’s best two-way players, as evidenced by his averages of 29.6 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from beyond the arc.

The race for the MVP award is far from over, with Jokic and Embiid likely to continue their back-and-forth battle for the top spot. But, with the Sixers currently atop the Eastern Conference and Embiid playing some of the best basketball of his career, it may take a Herculean effort from the Nuggets’ star to dethrone the Philadelphia center.

In a heated contest for the MVP award, Joel Embiid has surpassed Nikola Jokic to occupy the premier position in the Washington Post’s Kia MVP Ladder. The Philadelphia 76ers center has been in imperious form since the All-Star break, with his robust numbers of 28.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game pushing the team to the summit of the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Jokic has sustained his prodigious production, but the Nuggets’ middling record since the break has been the deciding factor in propelling Embiid to the No. 1 spot. Both stars are capable of extraordinary feats, and the MVP race will remain a taut affair for the foreseeable future.