![]() ![]() ![]() The Sixers completed a 4-0 season sweep, and Embiid still has never lost to the Bulls in his career, as he scored 43 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as Philly outscored Chicago in each quarter en route to a 121-106 loss. ![]() And in particular an inability to beat Joel Embiid and the Sixers. When put into that context, Embiid’s chances at overtaking James for the scoring title are actually pretty good, especially when you consider he’s averaged 35.2 points per game over the last five games.The pattern sustained tonight: tough matchup, another loss, and a continued slide down the Eastern Conference standings. If, however, James somehow goes off and scores 100 in a single contest with 30s in each subsequent performance – a feat no one but Wilt Chamberlain has accomplished – Embiid would need to average darn near 54 points per game to have a chance at the scoring title. Obviously, if James scores an even 120 over the final four games of the Lakers’ season, Embiid will only need to score eight more points to get his scoring total to 30.3. Now granted, there’s some wiggle room to those numbers. With all of that in mind, if Embiid just outscored James by two points per game over the final four games of the regular season, it will give him the requisite bump needed to overtake his foe if his scoring averages remain copasetic. Because Embiid has somehow played nine more games than James, 65 to 56, he’s actually already outscored his Western Conference foil by 268 points, but when you divide those points by the number of games played, it gives the Lakers’ forward a slight edge, 30.267 versus 30.20 As of the first Monday in April, the Lakers and Sixers both have four games left to play in the regular season. So what, you may ask, is the path for Embiid to outscore James, make up the ground, and finish out the regular season with the scoring title? Well first, let’s lay out the requisite information. 1 points per game lead isn’t as safe as it may seem in passing. How much can one game affect a player’s points per game total? Well, before the Philadelphia 76ers’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Joel Embiid sat pretty at 30.0 points per game, which ranked third in the NBA behind LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.īut after turning in a dominant performance featuring 44 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks, and three steals? Well, Embiid’s points per game average rose up to 30.2, which leapfrogged Antetokounmpo and put him solely in second place behind only James. The Philadelphia 76ers’ center could still leave the season with some hardware. 1 points per game behind LeBron James for that honor. What isn’t subjective, however, is the scoring championship, and as things presently stand, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ franchise player is. Will Joel Embiid ultimately win the MVP award? Only time will tell the award is subjectively decided on by a collection of voters and thus might not go to the “best” player in the NBA for one reason or another. When Embiid gets cooking in the paint, he grills his defenders like his steaks: Burnt to a darn crisp. Heck, as much as some folks hate it, Embiid is even a premier free throw shooter, as his shooting percentage of 81.7 ranks third among centers behind Jeff Green – who isn’t really a center – and noted Philadelphia Eagles fan Karl-Anthony Towns. When they need points in the post, Embiid’s ability to score over one, two, or even three defenders is elite. When the Sixers need a clutch basket, they turn to Embiid, who ranks second in clutch points per game and total clutch points scored overall. He has the statistics, he went through the adversity, and his ability to seemingly will his team to a top-four playoff spot is an association that very few players across the NBA can boast. Joel Embiid deserves to be the NBA’s MVP. By Matty Breisch 7 months ago Follow Tweet ![]()
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