Joel Embiid Named Eastern Conference Player Of The Week For 3rd Time

Joel Embiid is somehow having a career year. He somehow keeps getting better. To the point that this season he is putting up historic numbers we have not seen since Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This past week was particularly good. He scored at least 30 in all 4 games, and over 40 in two of them. All on the way to a 4-0 week for the Sixers. Which is why for the 3rd time this season,  the NBA named him the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

The surprising part of that news is it is only 3 times. It feels like he has been the best player in the NBA nearly every week, apart from the few that he sat out. Embiid is currently averaging over a point per minute. If he keeps that up, he would become only the second player to do so in a full season. Wilt is the only other player to accomplish that feat.

And you cant even say he is only doing it against bad teams. This past week he dropped 41 on the Nuggets. At the end of December he scored 51 on the Timberwolves. Against top 4 defenses this season, he averages 33 points and 10 assists (per Statmuse).

Joel Embiid is simply on another level right now. He is well on track to winning his 2nd MVP in a row. Provided he doesn't miss too many more games. He is doing something no other player has done in decades. So it is no surprise when he racks up these individual awards. At the end of the day he will be judged by how he plays in the playoffs. But the type of basketball he is playing should have Sixers fans excited for what that will look like this year. And Nick Nurse has put an emphasis on having him ready to play at a high level in the playoffs.

The Sixers came into this season with lower expectations than they have had in a while. Their 5th second round exit, compounded with the James Harden drama, had Sixers vibes the lowest they have been since the Process years. But even those at least had hope for the future. It was so bad there were some fans ready to blow it all up and start over again. But thankfully the Sixers did not do that. Because it turns out this has actually been one of the most fun seasons we have had in recent memory. The team Daryl Morey put together is playing fantastic basketball right now.

Joel Embiid is playing the best ball of his career. Tyrese Maxey has blossomed into a star player. Tobias Harris is playing great team ball. And between Nico Batum, Marcus Morris, and Pat Beverley, they have one of the best groups of role players we have seen in the Embiid era. The Sixers are currently the 3 seed in the East and the 5th seed overall in the NBA.

Yesterday, we had a chance to sit down and talk with Team President Daryl Morey. Bob Cooney, Andrew Salciunas, and Tyrone Johnson broadcasted live from the 6th Annual Sixers Youth Foundation Gala. The team celebrated "50 years of Hip-Hop" while raising money for local kids in need. We were joined by multiple Sixers guests, and one of our first guests on the special broadcast was Daryl Morey.

He talked about how well Embiid is playing, the growth of Maxey, the job Nick Nurse has done, his plans for the trade deadline, and more. And if you missed it, or would just like to hear what he had to say again, we have you covered.