USA Today via Reuters
Dec 23, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts to a scored against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 23, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts to a scored against the Washington Wizards during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Philadelphia 76ers have been in some form. They are the only team who have won 7 games this season and have the best record in the NBA.
At the center of it is their big Joel Embiid. Embiid is the top scorer in the team and has been the perfect fit in the new system set by coach Doc Rivers.
Doc was all praises for the 7’0 Cameroonian. In a recent press conference, Doc had an interesting comparison for Embiid.
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According to NBA insider Michael Scotto, Doc said, “Kevin Garnett was a four. I played with Patrick Ewing. I would combine those two together and make a Joel in some cases because he has a little bit of both of those.”
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Dec 26, 2020; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts to scoring a basket in front of New York Knicks guard Alec Burks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in New York at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Embiid is certainly one of the most physical bigs in the league and has a dominant presence in the paint. Given his impressive mid-range like that of Garnett and his dominant presence on the paint like that of Ewing, it’s not a surprise that Doc mentioned him as a concoction of both the legendary players.
Doc coached Garnett when he was with the Boston Celtics. The duo won the 2008 NBA championship and cemented their legacy as NBA greats.
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The veteran coach, in his prime playing days, shared the court with another prolific center in Patrick Ewing. Ewing, unlike Garnett, could not win the coveted NBA title.
The 59-year-old coach hasn’t won an NBA championship in 12 years now. Last season, he had a great chance with a very deep LA Clippers team who were favorites for the title.
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Are the Philadelphia 76ers favorites in the East?
Philly had a very disappointing 2019-20 season with the duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid crashing out in the very first round of the Playoffs.
With a new Head Coach in Doc Rivers and a new executive in Daryl Morey, the Sixers have turned it all around with a couple of superb moves.
Morey immediately got to work as he traded in Danny Green from the OKC Thunder for Al Horford. The 76ers also traded in the best shooter in the league, Seth Curry, from the Dallas Mavericks for Josh Richardson. These moves have worked wonders for them.
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Dec 29, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) grabs a rebound against the Toronto Raptors during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Under Doc Rivers, Philly are playing a much more fluid form of basketball. A system that is built around their superstar Joel Embiid. With the system built around him, Embiid has truly thrived this season. He is the top scorer in Philly and it finally looks like a Simmons and Embiid duo can co-exist.
The 76ers look like a much better side with all these additions. They might not have added big stars, but they have addressed all the problem areas. The effect has been instant.
For now, they see themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference. It will be intriguing to see how they perform against a top team like the Lakers or the Nets.
