Embiid Leads MVP Field in ESPN's Defensive Metric

ESPN calculates DRPM as a player's defensive impact per 100 possessions. Joel Embiid's defense has grown over the past five years, shown by the rise in his DRPM from slightly negative to almost six this season, which ranks tenth overall. The next highest MVP candidate, Jayson Tatum, is ranked 27th. Last season Nikola Jokic had the top DRPM among candidates and won his second MVP award.