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Age: 23

Per-Game Stats: 23.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.8 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 23.0 PER, 4.82 RPM, 77.06 TPA

Donovan Mitchell and Ben Simmons might emerge as MVP candidates, assuming they continue to progress as expected after their dominant rookie campaigns draw to conclusions. Joel Embiid, however, has a serious chance to force his way into the "best player in the world" conversation. Even among a group as young and talented as this one, he's in a class of his own.

Injuries and turnovers have proved the two biggest weaknesses for this 23-year-old, and he's answered the former worry quite nicely throughout 2017-18. We've now reached a point at which he's permitted to perform in back-to-backs, and he's averaging 31.4 minutes per game.

Sure, Embiid is struggling to connect from beyond the arc. But his performance at the stripe and his shooting success as a rookie both point toward further growth. If that happens (particularly in a scenario that sees him cut back on those pesky cough-ups), it'll be borderline impossible for anyone to keep him in check. Not when he can torment foes with face-up moves, post skills, perimeter jumpers and a fearsome interior presence on the defensive end.

When Simmons enters the fray for the Philadelphia 76ers, the team's net rating improves by 7.1 points per 100 possessions. But when Embiid plays, it jumps from minus-5.2 to 10.5—a 15.7-point swing that rivals the on/off impact of any star throughout the Association.

Of course, that makes sense. Embiid is the cornerstone of the surging Sixers and frequently performs like a top-10 candidate. He's already an All-Star starter, and he's only going to keep getting better. Even if he doesn't, he might still have the brightest future among this potential-laden collection.

Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats from Basketball-Reference, NBA.com, NBA Math or ESPN.com and are current heading into games on Tuesday, Feb. 15.