The Philadelphia 76ers led by Joel Embiid are flying sky high as the top seed in the Eastern Conference with the best record. With their win against the Los Angeles Lakers they made a strong case of being in the conversations of being a championship contending team.

While majority of the critics have heralded the 76ers as a top team in the East, former Chicago Bulls’ guard Jay Williams has a different take.

Williams in a recent appearance at ESPN’s KJZ said why he believes that Embiid might not be able to lead the side to the Finals. He said, “I just don’t trust Joel Embiid. He is having an incredible season and is in my MVP conversation. I just wonder about his durability when stuff gets tough. When it comes time to make a play.”

Williams also explained what do the 76ers lack. He said, “I know that Doc Rivers is supposed to unlock Tobias Harris, and he did have a game-winning shot last night. But there’s something about this team, just feels like they are lacking that leadership and that success.”

He also picked his top two teams in the Eastern Conference. He said, “I feel like right now if I would bet my money i would be on the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern conference finals before the Philadelphia 76ers in that conversation.”

Can Joel Embiid & the Philadelphia 76ers silence their critics?

The 76ers made a firm statement with an all-round performance against the Lakers. This performance certainly shows the overall progress the franchise has made from last season.

After a disappointing playoff series against the Celtics, the 76ers made multiple moves in the off-season. Despite having some tradable young stars like Simmons, the 76ers did not add any big superstars to the side; instead, they kept their faith in the duo of Embiid and Simmons.

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They added some much needed shooters in Danny Green and Seth Curry and drafted a great backup guard in Tyrese Maxey. There were still doubts whether Embiid and Simmons would fit and whether this new-look Sixers could succeed.

So far, it has worked. With 13 wins and 6 losses, the 76ers have the best record in the East. The addition of shooters like Seth Curry and the resurgence in form for Tobias Harris has taken the offensive load from Simmons. This has led to the 24-year-old becoming an integral piece in their defense.

Embiid, meanwhile, has dominated the paint and is a front-runner for the 2021 MVP race. Doc Rivers has built a system around Joel Embiid, which has maximized his potential to average 27.7 points, 2.7 assists, and 11.5 rebounds per game.

The Philadelphia 76ers are finally looking like a cohesive unit. Can they maintain this level of performance and become the best in the East?