Joel Embiid's incredible 2022-23 season will most likely yield him the MVP award. The Philadelphia 76ers' superstar center has pieced together a sensational body of work while putting the Sixers in a solid position to win in the postseason. His dominance has been solidified with an extremely rare statistical feat.
Embiid has effectively clinched the scoring title for the second season in a row. ESPN Stats & Info shared that the Sixers superstar will finish with a higher scoring average than Luka Doncic, whom the Dallas Mavericks have essentially ruled out for the rest of the season. Since Embiid is not expected to play in the Sixers' final regular-season game, he will likely end his season with a per-game average of 33.1 points. Doncic will end his season averaging 32.4 points per game.
After averaging a league-leading 30.6 points per game last season, Embiid becomes the first center to be the back-to-back scoring champ since Bob McAdoo, who secured a threepeat from the 1973-74 to 1975-76 seasons. Since the NBA-ABA merger (which took effect after McAdoo's third scoring title), the only centers to lead the league in scoring have been Shaquille O'Neal (1994-95 and 1999-2000) and David Robinson (1993-94).
Embiid bumped up his scoring efficiency inside the arc, turning mid-range shots into easy points and scoring more efficiently at the rim than ever before. He posted career-highs of 20.1 shots per game and 54.8 percent field-goal shooting. The Sixers center also shot 33.0 percent from beyond the arc on 3.0 attempts per game and 85.7 percent from the charity stripe on 11.7 attempts per game.
Scoring records and feats only seen by legends like O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have been common for Embiid throughout the season. His ability to shoot off the bounce, pull off nifty post moves and get the hoop with force and grace have made him almost unstoppable for even the best teams and defenders.
With some help from James Harden — who is in line to be the assist leader from this season with 10.7 assists per game — Embiid found room to fire away from the mid-range and relocate to and away from the hoop for easy buckets. Not since the 1981-82 season has a pair of teammates led the league in points and assists per game. Embiid and Harden replicating the feat from the San Antonio Spurs' George Gervin and Johnny Moore made the Sixers a top-five offense.
While Joel Embiid clinched the scoring title thanks in part to the Mavs' desire to tank, the Sixers stole a win against the Atlanta Hawks despite their six top players sitting out.
Follow Us
Subscribe