The Lakers won the last game at home to the Nets by double digits. But tomorrow they will have a very difficult opponent: the Philadelphia 76ers. On the one hand, the Lakers are away from home, on the other hand, how should Embiid, the superstar Lakers, be restricted?
Embiid has averaged 40 points per game in his last five games, and Embiid's current point average has soared to 29 points per game, ranking third in the league. In January, Embiid is the god of war who blocks the killing of people and the Buddha, and no one can restrain him. Playing magic for 27 minutes and scoring 50 points is a masterpiece of the season. Compared with last season, Embiid has not only been as efficient in attack as ever, but has also developed better passing ability, and his passing threat is getting bigger and bigger. The previous bag-and-clip strategy did not work for Embiid. Embiid has also had a lot of offense from the top of the arc this season, and he can even shoot a three-point shot like a defender after hitting a back-and-forth shot.
This year's NBA confrontation is intense, deliberately revised the blow penalty rules, in this context Embiid actually played the highest number of free throws per game in his career. Embiid takes close to 11 free throws per game, and another MVP-level center, Jokic, has averaged just four free throws per game this season. Embiid also shot an excellent 49.9 percent from the field, which is really undefended.
With the Lakers' existing resources, they can't defend Embiid. Davis injured before the Lakers let James play the No. 5 position, this game the Lakers can not use James to defend Embiid, Davis just returned. And he and Embiid are not a heavyweight player, and their height and weight are generally inferior. Jordan Jr. and Howard, two centers on the floor, drag down the offensive space, and their decline on the defensive end is also very large. Embiid, who is defending at the peak of his career, is unrealistic.
Embiid's point is basically unrestricted, and the record can also explain the problem. The last time the Lakers won the 76ers was two years ago. It was March 5, 2020, and the Lakers beat the 76ers, who lost both games last season. The 76ers team is more than Embiid's strong point, even if Simmons does not play Harris has a certain degree of independent offensive ability, last season he killed the Lakers to help the team win. Young player Maxi has averaged nearly 17 points per game this season, playing in a very mature style and a stable offense. Sebel has just returned and his defensive prowess is well known. The bench and Drummond, a giant beast, can grab rebounds and end, and the Lakers face a lot of trouble.
In short, this game the Lakers are in a disadvantage from the perspective of record and lineup configuration. But that doesn't mean they can't win, if James explodes in this game, Westbrook doesn't drop the chain, the Lakers' three giants are on the floor at the same time, and beating Embiid and the 76ers is not impossible. It's just that Embiid's recent form has been so hot that it has reached the point where the two-man bag is blind, embiid has scored 1.32 points per minute this season, and only Chamberlain has reached this level in the past 70 years.
So the Lakers still have a good idea of restricting Embiid. If Embiid can limit 30% to 40%, the probability of the Lakers winning will become greater. On the contrary, the Lakers' game is basically accountable. Once again, their winning streak will come to an end. Dear readers, do you think who wins tomorrow's Lakers game against the 76ers? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below the article.