Joel Em-VP? Embiid’s newfound consistency makes him a contender to watch. | David Murphy

You know what they say about fools and money. It’s why I don’t have any.

But if you have an extra Benjamin Franklin lying around, you could find far less economically sensible ways to spend it than to put it on Joel Embiid for MVP at 26-to-1.

All the usual disclaimers apply. The house always wins. This column is in not intended to substitute for the advice of a licensed financial professional. If you are in the midst of a medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911.

All of that being said, Embiid is off to the kind of start that could portend big things for the big man’s individual legacy. Heading into Thursday night’s 116-92 win over the Magic, Embiid was averaging 28.3 points and 13.3 per game, numbers that have resulted in MVP trophies for each of the last four players to average them over the course of a season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo did it last season, Shaquille O’Neal in 1999-00, Moses Malone in 1981-82, and Bob McAdoo in 1974-75. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also did it in 1974-75, but, alas, there’s only one MVP.)

Those numbers took a bit of a hit in Orlando, but that will happen when your team jumps out to a 30-point lead. When Embiid checked out of the game for good in the third quarter, he had 21 points and nine rebounds. We’ll count that as supporting our argument.

» READ MORE: Sixers put on three-point clinic in 116-92 rout of Magic, including one from Ben Simmons

I know what you’re thinking. Frankly, I’m thinking it, too, which is why I decided to get this column on the page before history chomps down with its all too predictable bite.

Three games of 28 and 13 and one game of 21 and 9 is hardly an unprecedented stretch for Embiid. It doesn’t come close to answering the big question that has always stood between him and the highest of individual accolades. It doesn’t come close to eliminating the two words that have defined him in the popular imagination.

Yeah, but …

Can he do it for a whole season? I won’t say he will, but I will say he can, and I’ll say it with far more confidence than I’ve been able to muster in any of his first four seasons.

That confidence comes from a quality that he has eluded him thus far in his career. Consistency. The guy we’ve seen over the first week of this season has yet to look dominant, but he has looked the same. Just look at the stat lines.

Game 1: 35 minutes, 29 points, 14 rebounds, 10-for-17 from the field, 8-for-9 from the line.

Game 2: 31 minutes, 27 points, 10 rebounds, 10-for-20 from the field, 5-for-7 from the line.

Game 3: 38 minutes, 29 points, 16 rebounds, 7-for-17 from the field, 14-for-16 from the line.

Game 4: 27 minutes, 21 points, 9 rebounds, 7-for-11 from the field, 6-for-8 from the line.

Embiid is the 13th player in NBA history to score at least 27 points and grab at least 10 boards in each of his first three games of a season. Most recently, Anthony Davis did it in 2017-18 and Russell Westbrook did it in 2016-17. Westbrook was the MVP. Davis finished third.

Again, it’s the consistency that’s key. There’s a chance that what we’ve seen is little more than Embiid’s baseline, and the reason to believe it is what we’ve seen on the court. We’ve seen Embiid active, decisive, engaged. We’ve seen him running the floor, seeking out the restricted area and burying his man before the shot clock reaches the teens. That’s been a point of emphasis from Doc Rivers.

» READ MORE: Quick takes from the Sixers’ 116-92 victory in Orlando

“If he does that four or five times a game, that’s huge for us,” the head coach said.

Credit goes to Embiid, of course. In the post, he has been aggressive and under control, playing with the calm, controlled energy of a man who knows he automatically has the upper hand.

You saw it late in the first quarter against the Magic on Thursday, when he faced up Nikola Vucevic, dribbled hard to his right, then spun to the hoop for an easy one-handed slam.

Away from the basket, his shot looks as rhythmic and fluid as it has since his arrival in Philly. You’ve seen it on his three-point shot (4-for-11 heading into Thursday night), and in the mid-range, where he was 5-for-9 from beyond the foul line.

“I love the fact that, when you look at his points, they’re from the post, they’re from the elbows, they’re from the [foul line], and they’re from the three,” Rivers said. “And, the most important one, they’re from the free throw line … He’s so talented that you can put him in a lot of places.”

» READ MORE: Confident, improved Markelle Fultz owes success with Magic to a disastrous stint with Sixers

Credit also goes to Rivers and the message discipline that he has maintained since accepting the job. From Day 1, he has held up Embiid as the game’s preeminent postman, and as the foundation for what the Sixers are trying to accomplish on the offensive end of the court. He has made it a point to meet regularly with Embiid and Ben Simmons in an effort to impress upon them their ownership of the team.

More than anything, Rivers’ presence is reason to think that this year might really be different for both of the young stars. Witness Simmons’ performance early in the Sixers’ win over the Magic.

On the Sixers’ first possession, he drove from the wing for a layup. On the next two possessions, he posted up down low and created two quality scoring opportunities. Later, he knocked down his first three-point attempt of the season, a soft, fluid shot from the right corner.

If Simmons can do that with regularity, he could eventually build his own case for a trophy or two. In the meantime, Embiid is enough to warrant excitement about this team.