Joel Embiid: Sleeper To Win Defensive Player Of The Year?

2022-2023 NBA DPOY Value Pick

After being "snubbed" of the MVP award over the last two seasons, Joel Embiid made it clear that he's not going to worry about winning that award anymore. Instead, the Philadelphia Sixers All-Star center made it clear at the beginning of the 2022-23 season that his focus is going to be on securing Defensive Player of the Year. He even went as far as to tell reporters at media day that his goal was to make the Sixers the best defensive team in the league. They currently rank in the top 10 in defensive rating, so they're not far off. However, Embiid's odds to win the individual award sits at +4000, making him a solid sleeper candidate for DPOY.

Joel Embiid's Case For DPOY

When the final voting results for DPOTY came out last season, Embiid's name was nowhere to be found. The only Sixers player to receive any votes was Matisse Thybulle who earned one third-place vote while the Celtics Marcus Smart took home the hardware. It was a bit surprising that Embiid's name wasn't on the list because of the numbers he put up. The big man ranked fourth in DFGM (9.0) and fifth in DFGA (19.1). He was also sixth in rebounds (11.7) and 12th in blocks (1.5).

This season, Embiid has posted better numbers in nearly every category. He ranks fourth in DFGM (9.4), third in DFGA (19.9) and sixth in blocks (1.7). The only category that is slightly down is rebounding, in which he ranks 12th (10.0). However, over the month of January, Embiid recorded double-digit rebounding nights in seven of the 10 games he played in. His rebounding numbers have improved month over month with the 10.7 boards he's averaging in January the highest mark of any month this season. That number is also greater than any player ranked higher than him on the odds board other than Giannis Antetokounmpo. If this trend repeats itself in February, Embiid has a real shot at leading the league in that category.

However, the award takes much more into account than just rebounding numbers, which is why Embiid still has a ways to go if he wants to be viewed as a true contender for the best defensive player in the league. As much as the award is given to an individual, history tells us that the winner has to be on a contending team. All but three DPOTY winners have come from a team that is ranked in the top three in defensive rating. With the Sixers currently sitting in sixth place in that category, they'll need to improve their play on that side of the ball if Embiid is going to have a shot. Yet, at +4000 and a little less than half a season left, there is definitely some value to be found in backing Embiid.