FIRST TAKE | “If Joel Embiid returns, 76ers can go to the Eastern Conference finals” – Stephen A.

FIRST TAKE | “If Joel Embiid returns, 76ers can go to the Eastern Conference finals” – Stephen A.

Somebody asked me this other some I’m ask you what would you average in the game today if you went for it that’s ain’t that too my horn of course but your yours a horn okay okay if if if if I if if if I averaged 30 I

Lost the scoring title to Kobe the year he average 35 I average 33 man and I’m just thinking like if if I was to play in this area where it’s wide open if I can average 33 in a season I’mma just take it up to

43 all right that was AI on the big podcast with Shaq legs what do you think no I don’t think so I love AI man nobody respects more what he did and what he accomplished at his size here’s why there’s a couple reasons why he wouldn’t

Get to that number first of all just we can’t just start playing around with numbers like you know it’s easy to get there uh since Jordan’s like two big years he had late 80s it’s been 35 years since then only two guys have even

Gotten to 35 in a year Kobe did it once Harden did it once maybe embiid could have done it potentially this year if he didn’t get hurt um so it’s just a very difficult number just to get to 35 much less get to 40 and now you’re talking to

43 that’s so that’s the first reason secondly the usage rate would not be allowed you just wouldn’t be allowed to do that because of the way that they view these players and what they’re doing with them on an average night the usage rate you’d have to have to get to

40 plus points per game it just there’s no way an organization would allow that to happen and then finally you need to incorporate the three-point shot to a greater degree that wasn’t really his strength that’s not what he wanted to do he didn’t take a lot of them and he shot

Around 31% when he did take them that would have to be a big part of your game to average those kind of numbers as a guard that’s not what the league looks like anymore Wendy that’s not even what’s considered a quality shot a mid-range or a shot at The Rim teams

Hunt three-point shots that’s what they do so that didn’t really necessarily jive with the way AI played and I just don’t think any team would have a guy out there he averaged 41 minutes a game 11 times in his career for a season like there’s just no way you’re playing 35

Minutes a night you’re not getting to that number so I hear what he’s saying it sounds logical the the reality is that’s just not going to happen before I get flamed by Iverson fans I just want to say of course if AI was playing in his prime today his game

Would be different and the and he would take advantage of the defensive rules although nobody got fouled in that era more than AI because he knew how to get fouled and he might get to the line less but before I say that he obviously would not 100% be Apples to Apples that said

If AI played today he would be heavily criticized he would be way more heavily criticized about his style of play than he was then because he was a low efficiency player now at the time the entire league was sort of more lower efficiency and the 7 Sixers were built

To have sort of Four Strong defensive minded guys who couldn’t play offense around him and then give him the ball and let him go to work it wasn’t because it was a character fla or anything like that but if you go look at the way he

Played he played a lot of minutes and just chucked a lot of shots and if 41% of them went in it was considered a good job that would not fly in today’s game uh you look at embiid embiid was averaging 35 points before he got hurt

On 22 shots in in 33 minutes that’s unbelievable it’s one of the greatest efficiency seasons of all time the year that AI won the MVP he averaged 26 shots for 31 points um thought shot just 41% from the field I think actually 42% from the field AI would not be afforded to

Have as much of a control of the offense in today’s game if he didn’t if he wasn’t a more efficient player and I’m not saying he wouldn’t be maybe he would be but AI of AI thrived in that era in this era he wouldn’t be able to do that

And as you said legs I don’t think they’d give him the ball as much because if you only shot 42% you wouldn’t be allowed to take 26 shots a game yeah absolutely AI averaged one three-pointer made per game uh from Philly to Philly despite initial fears that Joel embiid

Could be out for the remainder of the regular season according to our Ramona shelborne there’s opt optimism in Philly that the reigning MVP might be ready to go just before the playoffs take a listen there is an optimism in Philadelphia that Joel embi can return at some point during the regular season

At least close enough to the playoffs to get his rhythm heading into the playoffs but they don’t want to put any time frame on it until he starts ramping up but I’m told he went to practice today got there early assumed everything was in the morning but the team’s not

Practicing till later in the day so his enthusiasm is there that’s good o interesting all right Wendy if embiid returns how far can this Sixers team go we’d have to see him um this isn’t really a surprise he got uh the type of surgery he got even though the Sixers

Have been very vague about this injury and I don’t think it’s always been the best look for them or embiid but whatever he had a portion it appears like he had a portion of his miniscus removed that would enable him to return I I think that was absolutely always on

The table from the moment that they completed the surgery of course he has to hit all kinds of steps between now and then and not have any setbacks but the 76ers went out and added at the trade deadline with Buddy hee specifically because they were planning

On having embid back when embiid if and when he comes back if it’s in late March or early April or whatever and he comes back out there and he’s looking like this I think the Sixers have a chance to threaten everybody in the East if he’s operating in a little slower and he

Can’t get his minute load up and his efficiency goes down then we’re going to be focusing more on next season but actions over words I’ll say it until I’m bleue in the face the Sixers don’t make that buddy heel deal a guy who’s a free agent basically a rented player

Potentially unless they believe then beid comes back and unless they believe they can make a deep playoff run I completely agree and and here’s the thing I’m suspicious of you know whether he makes it back how much time you talking here it really going to be something the Sixers are going to want

To do to throw him out there for two three four five games and then enter The Fray of the playoffs into a best of seven with that level of intensity I don’t know if they’re going to go that route or not I think they’re going to

Kind of play this by ear but let’s just assume he does come back with enough games that it makes sense for the Sixers I completely agree because there are question marks up and down the East outside of Boston you you know Cleveland as good as they have been defensively in

The run that they’ve gone on here over the last six weeks or so I think a lot of people still look at them and say is this really a team that you you can see maybe making a run all the way to the finals I don’t know that people know

That the Knicks have a lot of questions they got a lot of injuries right now you don’t know what’s going going on with Julius Randall they’ve just added new pieces and they haven’t really played together yet so the Knicks have some question marks and obviously the Bucks

Have a lot going on so with all of that and that opening created embiid comes back and here’s the one thing the Sixers know there’s only one Joel embiid like he is the differentiating factor for them they have him so he comes in and immediately becomes maybe the toughest

In individual scoring matchup in the entire league there’s no real answer for Joel em B the way he shoots the mid-range at his size so right off the bat you throw this Force onto the court that nobody’s got a great answer for and you’ve added another piece in buddy hee

That should fit great alongside of embiid and Maxi he’s already played very well for them without embiid you add embiid to the mix the number of clean looks buddy heel gets um and Tobias Harris has had a very good year Sixers absolutely could make a serious

Threatening run in the East if they get you willing be back also he’s going to be fresh those legs aren’t going to have the normal grind of 82 games by that point this break can actually do you some good Steph Curry went through this

A few years ago he had a second half of the Season injury and he looked amazing when they got to the playoffs because his legs felt so energized that’s where embiid would be and Molly one thing I’m going to point out real quick I know everybody

Thinks that they it’s title or bust for everybody but remember the Sixers are now in position to have up to $60 million in salary cap space this summer they are also auditioning for potential star players if they look good this in this postseason look like they’ve got a

Great future it even if they get knocked out before they want to it could potentially lead to positive things down the road that’s a great Point glad you brought that up all right guys uh when we come back here on first take we’ve got some final thoughts for you don’t

Change that channel I’ll be right back spee speech spee spee spee speech spee spe get going they need a sword I’m just for First Blood even if I forget my name he D an enemy has been de you have been defeated life reborn for the battle your tower has you have defeated an

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FIRST TAKE | “If Joel Embiid returns, 76ers can go to the Eastern Conference finals” – Stephen A.