The Philadelphia 76ers are now the winners of three straight games after their 129-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. Joel Embiid sat out that matchup with a foot injury, and it has now been revealed that the 28-year-old is expected to be sidelined again on Friday when the Sixers take on the Chicago Bulls.
It's no secret that Embiid is Philly's best player and that this team is going to struggle without him in the lineup. The five-time All-Star has been an absolute beast for the Sixers yet again this season, and it's a known fact that his play will determine the level of success Philadelphia will attain this season.
One man who has been impressed by Embiid's heroics this year is none other than Sixers icon Julius Erving. The Hall of Famer recently spoke to ESPN's Malika Andrews to reveal his MVP pick thus far, and it comes as no surprise that Erving has Embiid as his frontrunner:
“I'm from New York but Philly is my second home, so I got to go with Joel,” Erving said. “He's been knocking on the door a few years — came up just short (last season). He's constantly challenging himself… now he's led the league in scoring. I don't know if it's gonna end up like that at the end of the year, but e would be my choice as a favorite for (the MVP).”
As Dr. J said, Embiid is leading the NBA in scoring right now with a career-best 33.5 points per game. The Sixers superstar has also been very efficient, making 53.2 percent of his shots from the field, which is also a career-high mark for him.
Erving did point out as well, however, that Embiid will be relying heavily on his supporting cast this season. He's clearly the best player on this squad, but he can't do it all by himself. Everyone else around Joel Embiid will need to step up if the Sixers want to go all the way this year.