Nikola Jokic ad Joel Embiid were just named Western and Eastern Conference Player of the Week by the NBA
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 25, 2021
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, Sixers superstar Joel Embiid has been named Eastern Conference player of the week for the 5th week of the young season and Denver’s big man Nikola Jokic has won the award for the West. The Sixers at 12-5 sit atop the Eastern Conference Standings in no small part thanks to their not so small center. Embiid leads the entire NBA in free throw attempts per game, and is shooting a blistering hot 55.4 percent from the field, 83 percent from the free throw line, and whopping 40 percent from three, all currently career highs so far this season. He is even pacing some of the games best shooters from the midrange:
Always checking on where Joel Embiid's shots are coming from (% coming from in the paint is back over 50% after dipping below last season), but I was not expecting him to turn into the best mid-range shooter in the league: https://t.co/u6ypYB7zjD pic.twitter.com/lCBgqVOKpg
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) January 24, 2021
Perhaps most impressive of all, he’s playing so well that he’s earning some (gasps) respect from national media coverage who appear to have taken a break from whining about his diet, drive, social media posts from 5 years ago or 3 point attempts for at least this week:
Joel Embiid is on pace to winning this year’s MVP...he’s playing the best basketball of his career! Carry on...
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 21, 2021
Incredible!
Joel Embiid with the three point dagger.
— Harrison Grimm (@Harrison_Grimm) January 23, 2021
This man is 7 feet tall. pic.twitter.com/He0CMOVFQu
During the 5th week of this season, the Sixers went 3-0, as Embiid plowed, bullied, and finessed his way to averages of 37.7 points per game, 11.7 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, shot 44% from deep, and shot over 81% from the line on over nearly 18 free throw attempts per game. That is not a typo. He shot 53 free throws over the last 3 games as they knocked off Boston twice, and the Pistons once. The game in Detroit was the second of a back to back too. Maybe most impressively of all, The Process did all of this while averaging less than 33 minutes per game.
If he hasn’t been the MVP so far this season, I’m not sure who has.
Joel Embiid last 3 games
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 24, 2021
Averaging almost 38 points a game
Sixers are 12-5
Best record in the East
pic.twitter.com/paDIFaJTUR
When we chant “Trust the Process” do we mean trust the process or do we mean trust “The Process”? Anyway, let’s gooo JoJo!