Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is having an MVP-like run. His 50-point showing yesterday against the Chicago Bulls is the highlight so far of his season. In 24 games, the Cameroonian is averaging 30.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per outing.
The last time the Sixers had a player this dominant was Allen Iverson in the early 2000s. Iverson would win the MVP in 2001 and lead the team all the way to the NBA Finals, where they fell short against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Embiid's dominant season is most reminiscent of Philadelphia great Moses Malone's 1982-83 campaign, however. In that year, the Hall of Fame center had averages of 24.5 points, a league-leading 15.3 boards, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.0 blocks a contest. Malone went on a tear in the regular season and continued his stellar play to the postseason. He helped lead the Sixers to win 12 games and lose just one in three series against the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Lakers en route to winning the championship. Malone bested Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the Finals.
The game back then was very different then and the center position is the one that has arguably gone through the most changes and Embiid is a testament to this. While he is a force scoring inside the paint, he has developed his outside shot and has been shooting at a 40 percent clip. He does not take that many 3-point attempts, but they are enough to keep defenders honest.
Like traditional big men, Embiid is an elite rim-protector and regularly alters shots. He is a nightmare for opposing bigs, as his frame and strength make it impossible to bully him inside. At the same time, he has the agility to not regularly get blown by smaller players.
Joel Embiid has been able to locate open shooters for a pass when he gets double-teamed. This is one of the benefits of the Sixers' improved spacing with the additions of Seth Curry and Danny Green.
One of the criticisms, he faced throughout his career was that we had a low motor and would take games off. This season, those narratives are getting thrown out of the window, as he is playing at a high level and energy.
Philadelphia is at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a 20-10 record and in no small part to the improved play of Embiid. Who knows maybe this is the year the Sixers can hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy again on the back of a dominant big man? Let's all just sit back and trust the process.
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