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Toronto Raptors star guard Fred VanVleet had nothing but praise for Joel Embiid in an interview with the media on Thursday. VanVleet compared the Philadelphia 76ers big man to several legends of the game. VanVleet stated:
"He was more back to the basket (in 2019), playing like a 5. Now he's turned into Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, Kobe, Shaq all put together."
The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Joel Embiid is one of the top MVP candidates this season. Embiid, who came in second in MVP voting last year, has elevated his play even further this season. He finished the campaign as the league's leading scorer, averaging 30.6 points per game.
Fred VanVleet knows that the Raptors are in for a fight against Joel Embiid and the Sixers.
The Raptors won the regular-season series three games to one, with two of those matchups happening before the Sixers acquired James Harden. They also won two games after the trade, even without two of their starters in VanVleet and OG Anunoby. VanVleet said:
"A couple weeks ago, they were title favorites. I haven't forgotten that, and I know how dangerous they can be. I'm looking forward to this series."
The last time the Sixers and Raptors faced each other was in the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
The Raptors, led by Kawhi Leonard, defeated the Sixers in seven games after Leonard hit one of the greatest shots in NBA history. The loss left Joel Embiid in tears, so it's possible that he's out for revenge against Toronto.
Will Joel Embiid win the MVP this season?
The race for the NBA MVP will be very close between Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Embiid.
Jokic and Giannis have had better seasons than the years they won MVP, while Embiid has reached a new level of play.
Jokic is currently the favorite to win the MVP after potentially the best statistical season in NBA history. He carried the Nuggets to the NBA Playoffs without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
Embiid, on the other hand, is thought to be the likely runner-up and will surely make the race interesting.
In an interview after the Sixers' win over the Cavaliers last April 3rd, Embiid made it clear that he wants to be the MVP. The 28-year-old superstar noted that if he does not win it this season, he feels the voters just hate him for whatever reason. Embiid said:
"If it happens, great. If it doesn't, I don't know what I have to do. I'll feel like they hate me. I feel like the standard for guys in Philly or for me is different than everyone else."
