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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Joel Embiid is aiming to go back-to-back as league MVP. His recent performances have shown just how good the Cameroonian big man really is. Despite losing James Harden early this season, the Philadelphia 76ers center has kept the team afloat with the rest of the crew and is looking to make a deep run this postseason. However, this is precisely what Robert Horry predicted when James Harden was on the trade block.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend was not surprised after seeing Joel Embiid’s recent performance against the San Antonio Spurs, as he was expecting the 6x All-Star to step up and lead the team after moving on from James Harden.

I think this guy without James Harden has been lighting it up. He has delivered,” said the 7x champion during a recent episode of the Big Shot Bob podcast.

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The 70-point performance from Joel Embiid was a true definition of excellence. This came against one of the best defensive players in the league, Victor Wembanyama, which made this even more legendary.

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Horry believed that when Harden was on the 76ers, the team had to allocate possession separately for Harden because of his legacy and what he had accomplished in the NBA. But this hindered Joel Embiid in the process. But now that Harden is gone from the team, Embiid has full reign of the team and is showing just how great he really is.

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Joel Embiid has the chance to overtake James Harden’s record

If we don’t consider the dominance shown by Wilt Chamberlain in the 1960s, there aren’t many who have had the same level of scoring output as Joel Embiid. Michael Jordan in the 1986–87 season averaged 37.09 points. The only person who came close to matching Michael Jordan since then was James Harden in the 2018-19 season when he averaged 36.13 PPG for the season.

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However, Joel Embiid currently has the chance to surpass James Harden. For the season, Embiid is currently averaging 36.12 PPG. If he continues this same level of dominance for the rest of the season, it is entirely possible for the reigning MVP to cover Harden and maybe even catch up to Michael Jordan.

What do you think of Joel Embiid’s recent performances? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!