Joel Embiid named a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year

By: Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly editor 

On Wednesday evening the NBA revealed their finalists for their annual slate of individual regular season awards. 

The Sixers have been represented by Joel Embiid, who is a finalist for the league's Defensive Player of the Year award:

The three finalists for #KiaDPOY… @rudygobert27, @JoelEmbiid and @AntDavis23!

The 2018 #NBAAwards air 6/25 @NBAonTNT! pic.twitter.com/LuAqR6y4KM

— NBA (@NBA) May 17, 2018

Embiid will compete for the award with Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz and Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans, who is also a finalist the league's Most Valuable Player award. 

Embiid finished third in the NBA in rebounds per game, fifth in blocks per game and ninth in defensive real plus minus. Embiid trailed Davis in both categories and trailed Gobert in blocks per game and defensive real plus minus, which Gobert was the leader in.

The NBA Awards will be announced live on TNT on June 25, 2018.