Joel Embiid put together a historic performance on Monday night, scoring 70 points to break the Philadelphia 76ers franchise record for most points in a game. Embiid is the reigning Most Valuable Player and is now the odds-on favorite to repeat as MVP.
All signs point to this potentially being the Sixers’ year. But they may need a final piece to the puzzle to get over their playoff shortcomings.
Jack Fritz and Eliot Shorr-Parks of the Audacy original podcast “Clap Your Hands” discussed why it’s important for Sixers general manager Daryl Morey to make the right move this season at the trade deadline.
“As you work your way through the year you have these little moments and it’s why they have to get this next trade right,” Fritz said (22:20 in player above). “If you’re Daryl Morey and you’re watching what your all-time center is currently doing, it’s got to make you have this want to to go out and secure the right guy.
“There’s been a lot of Dejounte Murray stuff out there. It’s interesting, it seems like they like to move Maxey off the ball and if you look at his off-the-ball numbers he’s elite at it. But the window is now. It’s time to 100% maximize what is going on. I’ve been one of those people saying save the assets for the right trade, but I don’t know how you do it with the way this guy’s playing right now.”
Embiid averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game during his MVP season last year. Through 32 games this season, he’s up to 36.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game.
“One thing Morey has said that I felt tonight is he does have a responsibility when it comes to Joel. He is the GM for the best player in franchise history. His job is solely to get Joel his title,” Shorr-Parks said. “Obviously, it’ll mean a title for Morey and another one for Nurse, and Maxey and all those things, but this is about Joel.”
Shorr-Parks believes that Morey owes it to not only the Sixers but Embiid specifically to make the right moves this season.
“This is about putting the best team around Joel that you can possibly put around him and the responsibility to when you have the chance to go all-in and when you have the chance to do it to not only be brave enough to make those moves but to get it right,” he continued. “This is on Morey to make sure the guys he trades for – because he will make a trade before the deadline, he will. The question is whether it will be for … a big-time guy or if it’ll be a bunch of role players.”
Last year it was James Harden as the other big piece on the Sixers, but we all know how that turned out. Tyrese Maxey has taken a big step forward this year, and adding another piece could put the Sixers over the top.
“This is bigger than figuring out what to do in the past,” Shorr-Parks concluded. “This is about going out and getting better players – not that they need better players – but getting the best possible trade you can with your assets because this is the Sixers’ year.”