John Salley makes bold 76ers prediction drawing parallels between Joel Embiid and Shaquille O'Neal
Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid is unstoppable this season and has emerged as the frontrunner to repeat as scoring champion and MVP. He won't win both awards if he misses more than 17 games in the season due to injuries or load management. That would make him ineligible for the awards.
Embiid has led the Philadelphia 76ers to third place in the Eastern Conference with 29 wins and 14 losses. The Sixers have emerged as a legit title contender and are hopeful they will have a deep playoff run this year.
Former NBA player and four-time champion John Salley recently compared Embiid to the legendary Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal. He said that what the superstar big man is doing this season has made the Sixers a favorite for the title.
"I had to think really deep who will win the NBA Finals and I think it literally may be Philadelphia cause I saw Embiid play and score 41 on Joker. I started watching it more and more. One, Joker is unbelievable but Embiid, I got the same feeling when I saw him as when l saw Shaq," Salley said, via VladTV (segment starts at 0:55).
Salley said that O'Neal was 'intimidating' opponents during his prime years, and he feels the same watching Embiid play now.
In 33 games with the Sixers, Embiid averages 36.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on 36.8 %.
Joel Embiid praises teammates after 70-point performance vs. the Spurs
On Monday, Joel Embiid erupted for 70 points in Philadelphia's 123-133 home win over the San Antonio Spurs. This was a new franchise record in points scored for the Sixers. However, Embiid didn't want to get the credit for how he played vs. the Spurs.
He praised his teammates instead, saying that the way they played helped him dominate offensively.
"The only thing I told my teammates was, 'Please don’t force it.' Let’s just play basketball. We were just trying to play the right way," Embiid said, via Associated Press.
On Saturday, the Sixers will visit Denver to take on the reigning champions Nuggets. Embiid will face reigning Finals MVP and two-time league MVP Nikola Jokic.
This would be another statement game for the reigning MVP, who downplayed the importance of his battle with the Serbian big man.
"It is a matchup between Philly and Denver. I know everybody keeps trying to make it personal. But I have nothing against Denver or Nikola. I have said it time and time, he is the best player in the league. I respect everything he has accomplished," Embiid said, via The Inquirer.
This will be the second time Philadelphia (29-14) and Denver (31-15) collide this season. The Sixers were victorious on January 17 (121-126).