The NBA announced tonight that Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers has been named to the All-NBA Second Team. It’s the fourth time in Embiid’s six NBA seasons he’s been named to an All-NBA Team. He joins Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Hal Greer, Allen Iverson and Dolph Schayes as the only 76ers with at least four selections.
In a year that saw Embiid finish second in MVP voting, while leading the league in scoring (30.6 ppg), he also averaged 11.7 rebounds per game which ranked fifth in the league. He was the 11th player in league history to average at least 30 points and 10 rebounds for a season, joining Chamberlain as the only players in team history with such averages. Embiid is one of just two players to post such numbers since the start of the 1990-91 season.
Embiid’s scoring title makes him the third 76er to ever lead the league in scoring, joining Hall of Famers Chamberlain and Iverson.
Leading to these offensive numbers was a league-leading 13 games where Embiid posted a stat line of at least 40 points and 10 rebounds which were four more than the next player. Since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976-77, Embiid’s 13 such games were the most any player has posted in a single season.
Embiid’s scoring output, including a league-best 158 total points in clutch situations, helped lead Philadelphia to its fifth consecutive playoff berth. These points came in games with a five-point margin within five-or-fewer minutes remaining in the game.
Along with these offensive numbers, Embiid averaged 1.5 blocks per game which ranked ninth in the league along with 1.1 steals per outing. He was the lone qualified NBA player with such averages.
Named an NBA All-Star starter for the fifth consecutive season, Embiid tied a career-high in points with a 50-point outing against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 19. This scoring showcase, coupled with 12 rebounds, made the former Kansas Jayhawk the second player in team history with multiple 50-point, 10-rebound games.
Through his first six NBA seasons, Embiid has seen action in 328 games (all starts), while averaging 26.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and 0.9 steals per game. He’s the only player in the NBA with his totals in points, rebounds and assists in 11,000-or-fewer minutes.
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