The Philadelphia 76ers made notable changes in the offseason and Doc Rivers coming in as the new head coach seemed to have increased the confidence of the organization. The optimism radiated by team president Daryl Morey is something to think about. He believes Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are in the 2021 MVP race.
The executive's recent Q&A session with Sixers fans caught the eye of many as he made the claim that two stars are vying for the honor of becoming the league's top player. Moyers said as far as his team is concerned, the two are solid MVP candidates.
There is no question that Embiid and Simmons are the dominant force on the Sixers roster and Moyers cannot be faulted for putting his 100% trust in the stars. The plain reason is both are quite capable and serve as cornerstones of the Philadelphia franchise.
And according to USA Today: "Both are two of the more talented players the league has to offer."
Realistically though, Moyer's prediction has a better chance of hitting the mark if the Sixers will improve from the campaigns of the previous seasons. The team has been running out of steam in the past few years despite the presence of Embiid and Simmons. For the MVP aim to be good, it is imperative that Philadelphia must do better.
For the Sixers tandem of Embiid and Simmons to truly flourish, the report suggested that the team needs to focus first on winning the important games and staying long in the postseason. After all, a winning team will automatically generate personal glories for the roster members, the report added.
Simmons, for instance, will need to significantly boost the level of his game. The guard must work harder on improving specific areas like making more accurate sniping from the perimeter. Simmons will sure to get the attention he deserves if his game improvements next season will translate to a more respectable campaign for the Sixers.
Of the pair, it is Embiid who is the dominant player. According to Clutch Points, the Cameroonian proved he is only getting better through the seasons he played at only 26 years old, he showed flashes of skills that indeed could give him a good at the MVP trophy.
If Embiid will remain mostly healthy in the years to come, it's hard to doubt that he will be the dominating offensive might of the Sixers. He is already showing signs of becoming one of the best centers playing in the league so an NBA MVP is not entirely a long shot.
Any of Embiid and Simmons holding that MVP trophy is not impossible but per the same report, it's hard to imagine that it is happening too soon as Morey wants to believe.
