Getty Joel Embiid #21, Philadelphia 76ers
In a January 20 ESPN article, Zach Lowe singled out Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid for his play this season, praising him for being one of the smartest players in the league by utilizing his physique.
“Embiid’s prodigious size and silky touch have always overshadowed that he is one of the league’s smartest players, with elite feel for the game. Brains and brawn amplify each other. Embiid knows how imposing he is,” Lowe said.
Lowe then talked about how much better Embiid has gotten as a rim protector as the season has progressed.
“After a slow start on defense, Embiid has been sensational — a one-man forcefield. Opponent shots at the rim plummet when Embiid plays.”
Lowe then listed Embiid’s MVP candidacy among other reasons for why the Sixers should be viewed as a title contender.
“Embiid is an MVP candidate. Harden is playing at an All-Star-level. The Sixers have all the markings of a contender,” Lowe said. “All that’s left is to stay healthy, and for their best players to show up in the biggest games. Sputter again, and the future is uncertain.”
The only team in the Eastern Conference with a better record than the Sixers is the Boston Celtics, who are four and a half games ahead of them.
Embiid Ranked Third Among MVP Candidates
In his latest MVP Ladder on January 20, Michael C. Wright ranked Embiid third among MVP candidates, behind only Nikola Jokic and Jayson Tatum.
“The steady rise continues. Embiid missed three straight games from Jan. 4-8, but returned with a vengeance, averaging 34.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 1.8 bpg in the six games since,” Wright said. “The Sixers have won four in a row on their current five-game West road trip and have won eight of their first 10 games in January to move into a second-place tie with the Bucks in the East. ‘I think we’re good, and I think we can be really, really good,’ Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. Much of that depends on Embiid’s continued production on both ends of the floor, as the big man and James Harden seem to be hitting their stride.”
Since writing this, the Sixers have surpassed the Bucks in the standings after defeating the Sacramento Kings on January 21. In the last two seasons, Embiid has finished second in MVP voting, with Jokic having beaten him in 2021 and 2022 for the award.
Embiid Responds to Hall-of-Famer’s Criticism
NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon criticized Embiid while talking with Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated, saying that Embiid settles when he shoots threes.
“He’s got all the moves, but leveraging the moves is different. Why would he be shooting threes?” Olajuwon asked Ballard. “He has the advantage every night, and if I have the advantage, I’m going to wear you out.”
“But threes? ‘That’s settling! When I’m tired, I settle. You don’t settle when you’re trying to win. You don’t start the game settling!”
Embiid responded indirectly to Olajuwon while talking with reporters, talking about how the game is different now compared to Olajuwon’s era.
“It’s funny when you’ve got these old guys always talking about posting up, ‘you need to spend time in the paint,’ and all that stuff,” Embiid said, per Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. “You can’t win this way anymore. It’s not the fricking 90s or 80s like it used to be. So, they must not have any basketball IQ.”
Joel Embiid: “It’s funny when you’ve got these old guys always talking about posting up, ‘you need to spend time in the paint,’ and all that stuff. You can’t win this way anymore. It’s not the fricking 90s or 80s like it used to be. So, they must not have any basketball IQ.”
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