With the 2020-21 season in the books for the Philadelphia 76ers, now is the time to review the season for each player on the roster. The team had a tough ending: falling in Game 7 at home in the second round, but they finished as the No. 1 seed in the East for the first time in 20 years.
A big key to their success was the dominant play of superstar Joel Embiid, who finished as the runner-up to Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic in MVP voting. If he had not missed so many games due to a bone bruise in his left knee and a troublesome back, he probably would have won the award.
2020-21 season averages:
28.5 points
10.6 rebounds
2.8 assists
1.4 blocks
51.3% overall percentage
37.7% from deep
Embiid was terrific in all facets of the game. His scoring was up from the 23 points he averaged in the 2019-20 season, and he was spectacular on the offensive end of the floor, putting the team on his back. He did a much better job attacking the double teams and he did a much better job of being a leader when the time called for it.
The big fella’s best game came on Feb. 19 when he dropped a career-high 50 points in a win over the Chicago Bulls. He shot 17-for-26, and he pulled down 17 rebounds while also blocking four shots. It was a masterful performance made possible because the game slowed down for him and also due to the floor spacing he was had.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU4lPBMySEg
As for the playoffs, he averaged 28.1 points and 10.5 rebounds while having to play on a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. He scored a playoff career-high 40 points in a Game 2 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Sixers would not have had the success they had without the big fella and his services. If he was fully healthy, the Sixers probably would have gone further into the postseason.
For the 2021-22 season, the big fella will have to take the success he had and continue to grow. There are still areas he can improve, such as in the turnover department. And the Sixers still have to put the right pieces around him. At 27-years old, Embiid is beginning to enter the prime of his career and Philadelphia cannot waste it.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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