Joel Embiid claims to score 50 points every game under one particular condition: "I get double & triple teamed"
Joel Embiid won the NBA scoring title during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 NBA seasons. He averaged 30.6 PPG in the former before topping it with 33.1 PPG in the latter. Last season, he averaged 34.7 PPG, but couldn’t make it a grand slam as he played below 65 games, the minimum requirement for major awards.
Embiid erupted for a career-high 70 points on January 22, 2024, against the San Antonio Spurs. Despite 7-foot-4 rookie Victor Wembanyama and consistent double and triple teams by the Spurs, “The Process” couldn’t be stopped. The Philadelphia 76er star hit 24-of-41 shots, including 1-for-2 from deep and made 21-of-23 free-throw attempts.
In the “Check Ball Show,” Joel Embiid was asked what his average would be if teams weren’t allowed to send help defense. The former NBA MVP replied:
“No doubles. 50 [PPG]. I’m not even kidding. I would ‘cause all you would have to do is just throw the ball down there every single possession. I’ll get to the free throw line every time or I’ll score. … If you are not allowed to double, that’s hard.”
Double or triple teams were the only answers to Embiid’s historic scoring run last season. Sometimes, those well-timed help hardly worked as the season progressed. He was decimating defenses even when every defender was focused on stopping him.
When Joel Embiid won the MVP during the 2022-23 season, he averaged 33.1 PPG, 4.2 APG and 3.1 TOV. Last season, his scoring picked up (34.7 PPG) as well as his assists (5.6 APG) but his turnovers dropped (2.9 TOV).
Once Embiid figured out where the help defense usually came from, opponents could pray he missed. The 7-foot, 280-pound center either scored or went to the free-throw line. He also carved up defenses with accurate passes all over the court.
It will be a nightmare to defend him without the benefit of double and triple teams. 50.0 PPG might just be the right number he'd score against opponents.
Team USA could use a dominant Joel Embiid performance in the Olympics
Team USA is 5-0 in pre-Olympic exhibition games. They needed LeBron James to save them from embarrassing losses to South Sudan and Germany in their last two tune-up matches. Joel Embiid has largely been underwhelmed in his Olympic debut.
Team USA coach Steve Kerr has decided to put James, Embiid and Steph Curry in the starting lineup. The remaining two spots in the first five will be rotated or Kerr could name fixed starters once the Olympics starts.
In the Americans’ 92-88 win against Germany, Joel Embiid faced either 6-foot-8 Daniel Theis or 6-foot-11 Johannes Voigtmann in the paint. The Germans couldn’t send double teams as emphatically or as consistently as they would have liked. Doing so would allow Steph Curry, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and LeBron James to shoot.
Embiid could have done more damage when he had his one-on-one matchups. No one in Germany’s frontline could consistently stop him from scoring. “The Process” said after the game versus the Germans that he is rounding into form. The Americans could surely use his often terrifying ability to put up points.