Sixers center Joel Embiid is having the best season of his career and has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. In addition to anchoring a defense that ranks first in the Eastern Conference with a 107.4 rating, Embiid is having his best offensive season, with career highs in points per game (29.3), field-goal percentage (55.3%), and three-point percentage (39.0%), among other categories.
Even if he doesn’t earn MVP honors, Embiid is on track to be named to one of the league’s three All-NBA teams, which would bode well for his future earnings. If he earns an All-NBA spot this season, the Sixers star would become eligible to sign a super-max contract extension that would start at 35% of the 2023/24 salary cap instead of his standard limit of 30%.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina has been ruled out for Tuesday due to entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols, per the team (Twitter link). Ntilikina hasn’t tested positive, but is subject to contact tracing after having been in proximity to someone who tested positive, reports Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). If Ntilikina is determined to have been a close contact of that person, he may be sidelined for the next week.
- While there’s some concern among Knicks fans that newly-acquired point guard Derrick Rose will steal minutes from promising rookie Immanuel Quickley, the two guards have already begun to bond, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “First of all he gave me his number — said anything I need just hit him,” Quickley said of Rose on Tuesday. “But he sat down with me a little bit, me and Obi (Toppin) actually, just told us he’s here to help us, he’s here to help us grow and things like that.”
- As he heads to the G League bubble to gain regular playing time and experience, Malachi Flynn is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Raptors teammate Fred VanVleet, who won an NBAGL title as a rookie before emerging as a key player for an NBA championship team two years later. Blake Murphy of The Athletic has the story.
Embiid is a beast
Who are the best complete teams 76ers have defeated?
Defeat Heat without Butler and Bam twice
Defeat Celtics without Tatum twice
Defeat Nets without Durant and Irving
Are 76ers top 5 playoffs team in the nba?
I don’t watch enough games
We can tell u don’t watch enough games. With some of the silliness u spout
I would say the Lakers and Clippers are ahead of the Sixers, but I would put them somewhere in the Nuggets, Celtics, Bucks, Nets, Jazz group.
They beat the Lakers at full strength. But go ahead picking and choosing.
Not that I’m agreeing with your sentiments, but just to clarify, one of those Heat wins came in a really ridiculous way at the end of regulation, allowing them to win in OT on a shot by a guy that isnt in the league anymore
Embiid is killing it. With that said it’s been 19 games
the odds of him winning MVP are about the same as the odds of him strangling Shake Milton.
lol strangling shake milton isnt he playing pretty well off the bench dis season
Yeah Shake is having a good year. Not sure if he will get any awards but 6moty and MIP are conversations he should a part of.
Also, Derrick Rose to Quickly “I am here to help you grow” is about as good of a line as “Is your name Winter? Because you’ll be coming soon”
We need to play Frank to move him. Teams are looking at Payton right now. There’s no rush to start Quickly we need chill and stay the course. NY is already screaming for Quickly to start. Truth is we could still trade for or draft a traditional PG. Payton, Burkes, Rivers, Bullock, Noel, Taj, even Frank are on 1yr deals. We have to stick to rebuilding and not get crazy over 8th seed. If Playoffs come as we rebuild. Then that’s great.
Knicks need to carve out a rotation from
Rose
Quick
Toppin
RJ
Randle
Robinson
Bullock
Rivers
Noel
That’s 9 guys. Not incl. Gibson who’s still serviceable.
ie. Take what you can get for Payton, Frank, and Knox
Focus on Toppin/Quickley/RJ/Robinson development while making decent push for playoffs this year
I almost agree. But I still think that Knox can b a very good bench piece for a playoff team. He’s got to get the chance to play regular bench minutes and be told this is what your role is and take it or we will move u.
True, it’s probably a little early to give up on Knox. But I think that may be more reason to move him ASAP, while some teams still think there’s a decent probability of redemption.
Maybe get a low 1st for him from a team like OKC who just wants to accumulate talent?
The problem with him NYC is Randle is playing out of his mind, so he’s earning his 30+ minutes—RJ and Obi were both already better prospects, and they’re struggling to find extended minutes to Obi as is.
So I’m not sure how he carves out much of a role in their wing rotation.
I don’t think I would give up a first for Knox (although I liked him coming out of Kentucky, and still think he has some promise?) but I would trade the Knicks 2nd rd pick (that we currently have) back to them for him.
Butler so smooth getting that lil nudge at the buzzer… can hardly tell in real time but no doubt a foul