Getty Images Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid
The Philadelphia 76ers weren’t able to come away with the win against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. As the team kept it close during Jimmy Butler’s debut with the Sixers, they ultimately fell short after giving up a second-half lead. Although the team took a loss on the final game of their road trip, they have a few things to be optimistic about moving forward. One thing is for sure, Joel Embiid is not slowing down anytime soon.
Currently, the Sixers big man is averaging 28-points-per-game. Just last week, he managed to drop a career-high of 42 points. Don’t think for a second that Embiid has peaked early in 2018. This guy is the real deal, and he’s turned it up a notch over the last few games.
The other night, Embiid dropped 35 points against the Miami Heat. Although he followed up that performance with only 19 points against Orlando, he accomplished something that he’s never done before. Embiid notched the first triple-double of his young career.
Embiid on the Rise
It was surprising that Embiid only dropped 19 points in total by the end of the game. He started off scorching hot with three, three-pointers within the first couple minutes of the game. Of course, Sixers head coach Brett Brown had to take him out prematurely, but he still had an all-around solid game with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.
When Embiid is playing in Philly, the crowd chants “M-V-P” when he’s shooting a free throw. Although those chants seem a bit premature, they aren’t overblown. Embiid is genuinely having an MVP-worthy season so far. Each and every night he plays, his game just seems to elevate. And the craziest part about it all is that he still doesn’t look like he’s playing his best basketball.
There are still small flaws to Embiid’s game such as turnovers, and missing big-time dunks. But once Embiid cleans up the little mistakes, he may be unstoppable. It will be interesting to see how well he plays moving forward once Jimmy Butler settles into his role with the Sixers.