CAMDEN, N.J. — Joel Embiid is scoring the ball at historic, unprecedented levels. The Philadelphia 76ers' center is once again the NBA's scoring leader, though he has upped his average in points per game while playing fewer minutes per game. Through 24 games, the Sixers superstar has recorded more points than minutes, a feat that only Wilt Chamberlain has ever accomplished over a full season.

After the Sixers' Thursday practice, Kelly Oubre Jr. said that Embiid is “the best scorer of our generation.” In response to a question about getting more acquainted with his new team, the veteran wing casually declared that Embiid is a cut above the rest when it comes to getting buckets. 

“I mean, it's my first year here,” Oubre said. “It usually takes, like, two years for you to really know someone and get comfortable with 'em. So, yeah, just seeing each other's tendencies, seeing just the ebbs and flows of the season and the games that we're in right now. Obviously, Jo's having 50. It's really easy for him right now. So, we all have to just figure out things around him to help him and to help the team win.

“But,” Oubre said as he knocked on the wooden table he sat at during his media availability, “if he's not scoring 50 all season long, then we're gonna have to make some adjustments and guys are gonna have to step up and feel some of that. And I'm here for that, so I'm ready for it whenever. But I want him to keep scoring 50 every game because he's the best scorer of our generation.”

The Sixers are surely knocking on wood that Embiid can continue scoring at the astronomic rate he is currently at, which was buoyed by his 51-point game against the NBA's best defense. Oubre is clearly gassing up his teammate – as any teammate should to another — but is what he said legitimate? Can Embiid be considered the greatest scorer of his generation?

The numbers actually lay out a case for Embiid being the greatest scorer of any generation. The strength of the case is in the eye of the beholder but it does earnestly exist.

Embiid is one of eight players to never average below 20 points per game in any season and is one of just 14 players with three seasons averaging at least 30 points per game. The only players on both lists with him are Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The Sixers superstar is currently third all-time in career points per game at 27.7, behind only Jordan (30.12) and Chamberlain (30.07).

Obviously, those stats are bound to change in his later years when his scoring eventually tails off later in his career. But given what he has done right now and with a playing field leveled for playing time, the historical stats show just how unreal Embiid is. The current 12-game streak he has of tallying 30 points and 10 rebounds, which has not been seen in 50 years, helps underscore this.

No one has averaged as many points per 36 minutes as Embiid per their age-29 season. The same is true for points per 100 possessions, which comes in at 31.2. Chamberlain is second at 30.3 with Jordan at an even 30.0. Embiid's 61.4 true shooting percentage is higher than anyone else to average at least 25 per 100 possessions and his effective field goal percentage (53.5) ranks seventh in that group.

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One of the greatest volume scorers of all time is also doing it with an efficiency that tops the rest. There's not much precedent for Embiid doing what he's doing. When not even the mythical-sounding career of Chamberlain features what a player is doing, what more is there to say?

Obviously, the major caveat with Embiid is that his scoring production tanks further in the playoffs than most other superstars. It's a fair critique that he has not been able to translate his scoring dominance to the portion of the season that matters the most. But at least for the regular season, where there is a far greater sample size of games, Embiid is truly one of one. Should this be the season that he finally translates his domination to the postseason, the case will only get stronger.

When asked again about Embiid being the best scorer of his generation, Oubre doubled down.

“I mean, you can quote me on that,” he said. “I'm biased, of course. I know who a Kevin Durant is. I know who a Kobe Bryant is. I know Michael Jordan. But like, he's 7-foot-2. Those guys are my size and we're all athletic and agile — and who's doing that at his size, you feel me? So, yeah, it's debatable of course. But at the end of the day, I'm riding with Jo.”