The Philadelphia 76ers are picking up steam with the NBA playoffs right around the corner, in large part due to the return of reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
The Sixers have won six straight games and may be poised for a deep postseason run. During the latest episode of “Nightcap,” retired NFL Hall-of-Famer Shannon Sharpe stated that Embiid and the Sixers pose the biggest threat to the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
“If Joel Embiid is going to stay healthy, Joel Embiid is the number one threat to the Celtics,” Sharpe said.
“Nah, nah, nah,” retired NBA star Gilbert Arenas replied. “Ol’ Al owns him, Al Horford; I don’t even know if Embiid has beaten Boston. Listen, he tried to bring Al in to help him get past Boston. That’s one team he don’t want to play.”
Sharpe pushed back, saying that Philadelphia is scary thanks to the duo of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, plus the “very, very sneaky-nice addition” of Kelly Oubre.
Embiid made his return from injury on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, recording 24 points and 7 assists in 29 minutes. Since then, the superstar big man has scored more than 28 points in each of his appearances. The Sixers are undefeated since Embiid’s return, and they currently have the seventh-best record in the East (45-35).
To Sharpe’s point, Maxey and Oubre complement Embiid very well. This season, Maxey emerged as a first-time All-Star and reliable No. 2 option, averaging 25.9 points, 6.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and a steal, while shooting 44.8% from the field, 37% from 3-point range and 87% from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Oubre is averaging 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals.
Arenas isn’t as high on the Sixers as Sharpe, instead picking the Miami Heat and New York Knicks as the biggest threat to the Celtics.
All eyes will be on the 76ers during the NBA playoffs. There is no denying that Embiid is one of the NBA’s most dominant players, but it’s time for him to prove it on the biggest stage.
