One big man surpasses another. For years, our man Shaq was the last NBA center to win a season’s scoring title…the most points scored in the regular season. Now – finally – he’s got company with that title. Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid scored 41 in a game this past weekend to win this season’s scoring title. Nice work!
Embiid secured the top-scoring performance against the Indiana Pacers, even before the regular season ended. That’s because the next man on the list, Milwaukee’s superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play in the final game of the regular season due a slight knee injury. He sat out to get in a little recovery time before the playoffs get underway.
Here are Embiid’s numbers for the 2021-22 regular season: he averaged 30.6 points per game on 49.9/37.1/81.4 shooting splits. Embiid is the first center to lead the league in scoring since Shaquille O’Neal during the 1999-2000 season. He is also the first big man to average 30-plus points per game since Moses Malone did so with the Rockets in 1981-82.
Embiid was strong all season long, but he finished in a big way, too. He scored at least 41 points in three of the last four games last weekend (as of this writing). For the entire season, Embiid recorded 13 games with 40-plus points and 10-plus rebounds, the most in a season since Bob McAdoo in 1975-76.
Like the Greek Freak, Embiid also sat out the Sixers last two games of the regular season. Philly is definitely in the playoffs, but can improve their standing and tournament positions by winning out the season. They could end up at the 3rd seed in the East with the right combination outcomes.
As for Shaq, you’ve got to set the WayBack Machine for around 1999. In the career that followed, O’Neal would win Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award (for that 1999-2000 season); and also the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award; 15 All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards; three Finals MVP awards; two scoring titles; 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections.
He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star Game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. He ranks 8th all-time in points scored, 6th in field goals, 15th in rebounds, and 8th in blocks.
Needless to say, Shaq was pretty much impossible to defend. That meant he didn’t have to take a lot of shots, preferring instead to use the dunk. With that close-in scoring ability, that led to his rank of number 3 for all-time great field goal percentage (58.2%).
Recently, O’Neal was honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all-time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Time will tell how Embiid stacks up with other all-time greats. He’s got plenty of playing time ahead of him.