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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

In the 2020-21 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers centerpiece Joel Embiid came so close to the much coveted MVP award. The then runner-up has not given up his fight for the sublime honour. This season, the 76ers star has been putting out surreal performances that have rendered the hoops community spellbound. In the 76ers latest game against the Boston Celtics, Embiid scored 52 points and led his side to a triumph. Having scored more than half of the points in the game, the 76ers icon has almost put an end to the NBA’s quest for finding the MVP. Nonetheless, an NBA veteran has always been critical about the potential MVP.

This season, Joel Embiid has been averaging 33.3 PPG. Though the 76ers star has rendered the hoops community flabbergasted with his unreal performances, the former NBA star Gilbert Arenas remains unconvinced. According to Arenas, Embiid has not been performing up to his stature.

Joel Embiid gets an eye-opener from a former NBA star

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On the back of his awe-inspiring displays, Joel Embiid has become the muse of NBA fans, to whom they sing songs of praises. However, the NBA star turned podcaster Gilbert Arenas did not hesitate to lambast the 76ers superstar. Arenas pointed out that 33.3 PPG was far from satisfactory for a player of Embiid’s stature. “He’s got 33 per game, but what’s stopping him from averaging 40-50? That’s why he’s lazy, he can’t score 40 a night,”?said Gilbert Arenas. However, this did not go down well with 76ers fans and they started to call him out.

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Now that Embiid has almost seized the MVP award with his game-winning display against the Celtics, Arenas has again chimed in with his two cents on the 76ers’ center. Emphasizing Embiid’s unreal display against the Celtics, the ex-NBA star claimed that his thoughts on Embiid being lazy were right, and the 76ers fans must apologize to him. Arenas added that Embiid scored more than 50 points against the third best defensive side this season- the Celtics. Nonetheless, Embiid has not been able to average 40 PPG, and that makes Arenas unhappy.

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“He is a 40 guys, a 40 and 20, 40 and 17. No one can guard him, period. So I was saying and the Philly guy ain’t hit me since he seen it, I said and I tricked this little f**ker. I said who is more skilled, him or Greek. He said Embiid. I said who plays harder. He said Greek,” said Gilbert Arenas, on the recent episode of his podcast, alluding to a 76ers fan.

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According to Gil, Giannis is not as skilled as Embiid, but the former plays harder. Arenas badly wants Embiid to use his talent to the best of his abilities by putting out bigger numbers.