Joel Embiid made history on Monday night as he set a new franchise record for the Philadelphia 76ers by scoring 70 points in a 133-123 win over the San Antonio Spurs. The previous record of 68 was held by Wilt Chamberlain and while Embiid is proud to break that record and be mentioned alongside Wilt, he says winning a championship is what matters in the end.
“It doesn’t really mean anything until you win the whole thing.”
Embiid has his eyes set on a 💍 pic.twitter.com/AetkkX2qC3
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 23, 2024
Whether that’s fair or not, it is ultimately how Embiid will be judged and he knows it as well. The reigning MVP is having an incredible season, with averages of 36.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game in 2023-24, but he won’t get the respect he deserves until he wins that championship.
Coming back to that historic performance against the Spurs, Embiid also had 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block to go with his 70 points. It was one of the finest performances we have seen in recent times and, in the process, the 29-year-old also joined Chamberlain and David Robinson as the only centers to score 70 in a game.
The fact that the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar never managed to accomplish it, puts into context just what a special night it was.
Patrick Beverley Thinks Joel Embiid Is On Track For The Greatest Season Ever
No matter what happens in the playoffs, the fact is we are witnessing one of the finest regular seasons in NBA history here. Patrick Beverley went as far as to say Embiid is on track for the greatest season ever.
“If he finishes this season the way he’s playing now, it would be the greatest season of a single player that’s ever played basketball,” said Beverley on his podcast. “That doesn’t make you the best big man in the league that makes you the best motherf*cker in the world. Jo is in a world of his own and I don’t think it’s even close. I think it’s a toggle between him and the man [Michael Jordan]!”
It is hard to say whether it is the best ever because we have seen some incredible ones from the likes of Chamberlain and Michael Jordan. When you talk about the most dominant regular season ever, the one that comes to mind is when Wilt averaged 51.4 points per game in 1961-62.
He averaged 1.04 points per minute played that season, as he played 48.5 minutes per game. Interestingly, Embiid is now averaging 1.05 points per minute this season, so Beverley might be on to something here.
The 76ers Have To Trade For A Superstar If Embiid Is To Win A Title
Embiid has received a fair bit of criticism in the past for not delivering when it matters most, in the playoffs. He hasn’t managed to replicate his regular season dominance in the postseason, but even if he does it this time around, it won’t be enough to win it all considering the roster that he has around him.
The 76ers have some fine pieces like Tyrese Maxey, but Embiid can’t win a title without a superstar. The six-time All-Star will inevitably have to face either the Boston Celtics or the Milwaukee Bucks if he and the 76ers are to even get to the NBA Finals.
Their roster at present simply isn’t good enough to beat either of those teams no matter what Embiid does. At some point, they have to use the assets they got from that James Harden trade to acquire another superstar, or else they’ll never break through and win it all.
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