Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron James Edges Joel Embiid In MVP Race, Per Straw Poll Of 100 ESPN Voters
The MVP race is heating up early in the season, and two names have been getting a lot more buzz than the others; Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
Embiid is piercing together a series of dominant performances while the Sixers surge to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Embiid is putting up a strong case and has a legit chance to be the first center to win the NBA’s MVP since Shaquille O’Neal in year 2000.
LeBron, on the other hand, has picked up where he left off last year. The Lakers superstar finished second in last year’s MVP race. But with the way he’s denying father time and putting up a couple of clutch performances, fans may see LeBron hold his fifth MVP award at the end of the year.
As the MVP race continues to be a hot discussion, ESPN conducted a straw poll to gauge how the MVP race is currently shaping up. With 100 media members voting in, the poll then revealed that LeBron is currently the front-runner to win the coveted MVP award.
James was named on 99 of 100 ballots and finished with a total of 760 points (54 first-place votes), leading Embiid (23 first-place votes) by just 95 points.
Embiid was the only player named on all 100 ballots. The last MVP race to have a final margin that small came in 2004-05 when Steve Nash edged Shaquille O’Neal by 34 points. Jokic was third, garnering 18 first-place votes and a total of 596 points.
