For more than a decade now, DNA of Sports has been offering you its Top 5 candidates for the “Most Valuable Player” trophy (MVP)”. For this third point of the season, it was obviously impossible for us to miss the awakening of Joel Embiidauthor this weekend of a resounding performance.
The kind of performance which earned him the title of player of the week in the East and which will certainly remain in the minds of voters next spring, if he is still in the running to win the Maurice Podoloff statuette…
Because, with his 59 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 blocks against the Jazz (at 19/28 on shots and 20/24 on throws), the Philadelphia pivot has quite simply achieved – in just 37 minutes – the one of the greatest individual performances in history, the day after his 42 points (with 10 rebounds and 6 assists) against the Hawks. So much so that it is now, among other things:
- The only NBA player to have compiled 50+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ blocks since 1973/74,
- The only NBA player to have compiled 55+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ blocks since 1973/74,
- The 7th NBA player to have accumulated 100+ points on a back to back,
- The 5th NBA pivot to have accumulated 100+ points in two games,
- The Sixers’ 5th leading scorer in a game.
video game statistics
Suffice to say that, without James Harden, Joel Embiid does not do things by halves to bring back ” his “ Sixers have a balanced record (seven wins and seven losses), despite their various physical glitches (illness, shoulder, ankle, foot). And, watching him manhandle the defense of Jazz, it was long believed that the now Franco-American-Cameroonian was going to head straight for a quadruple-double, as he was omnipresent in attack as in defense…
Except that the league’s leading scorer in title did not finally manage to add his name alongside those of Nate Thurmond (1974), Alvin Robertson (1986), Hakeem Olajuwon (1990) and David Robinson (1994), the only four players to have already compiled at least 10 units, in four different statistical categories. Failing narrowly, like others before him.
Since the last quadruple-double to date, recorded on February 17, 1994 by “The Admiral”, they are indeed several to have come close to 10-10-10-10. Jumble below, among those who missed less than five units (and/or five baskets) to get there.
The “almost quadruple-double” in the regular season
— Alonzo Mourning (1995): 26 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 9 blocks.
— Clyde Drexler (1996): 25 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 10 steals.
— Chris Mullin (1997): 19 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists, 7 steals.
— Vlade Divac (1997): 10 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 7 blocks.
— Mookie Blaylock (1998): 14 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals.
— Chris Webber (1999): 25 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists, 9 blocks.
— Kevin Garnett (1999): 22 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, 7 steals.
— Mike Bibby (2000): 14 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 7 steals.
— Ron Artest (2002): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 8 steals.
— Andrei Kirilenko (2006): 15 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 8 blocks.
— Chris Paul (2009): 33 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 7 steals.
— Chris Paul (2009): 27 points, 10 rebounds, 15 assists, 7 steals.
— Rajon Rondo (2011): 6 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 8 steals.
— Michael Carter-Williams (2013): 22 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, 9 steals.
— Anthony Davis (2015): 36 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 9 blocks.
— Ricky Rubio (2015): 9 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists, 8 steals.
— Draymond Green (2017): 4 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals.
The “almost quadruple-double” in the playoffs
— Shaquille O’Neal (2001): 28 points, 20 rebounds, 9 assists, 8 blocks.
— Tim Duncan (2003): 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, 8 blocks.
Through these two lists, we see that, since 1994, no one has been as close to achieving a quadruple-double as Clyde Drexler in 1996, because he only needed a small assist to achieve it. A tenth offering that would have been “volley” by statisticiansat the time…
For their part, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan managed the feat of brushing against him in the playoffs, and downright during the Finals ! Besides, the Duncan’s “almost quadruple-double” is perhaps the most famous of them all, having taken place in the coronation match. Today, some even regret that the NBA gave him “forgot” two counters…
It’s also hard to miss the crazy performance of Michael Carter-Williams, the 2014 Rookie of the Year, in his very first game in the league, against the defending champions the Heat. Ditto for the performance of Draymond Green, author of a triple-double… without the points (!) five years ago. A real anomaly, which made him miss the quadruple-double, but also the five-by-five!
the “Process” still growing statistically
If he is perhaps not as versatile as Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo or LeBron James, Joel Embiid is nonetheless a player capable of blackening a stats sheet as rarely. Now 28, he seems more equipped than ever to win the most prestigious of individual awards. The one that would still take him to another dimension: that of the MVPs.
Provided, of course, that the Sixers’ balance sheet improves quickly and this, as of the next few days because, on a personal level, “JoJo” is flawless to say the least, with 32.3 points (career high), 10.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.8 against average after ten games. All at 54% shooting (career record) and 83% throwing…
Statistics worthy of the dolphin that he has been for two years – at the level of this election at least – “because” of Nikola Jokic.
Race to the MVP 2023: our Top 5
1 – Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Assessment: 11 wins, 3 losses – 1st in the East.
Matches: 14 disputed out of 14 possible.
Statistics: 31.9 pts, 7.4 reb, 3.9 pds, 0.9 int, 1.4 ctr and 2.4 pdb in 38 min.
Percentages: 49% shooting, 37% 3-pt and 87% throwing.
2 – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Assessment: 10 wins, 3 losses – 2nd in the East.
Matches: 10 disputed out of 13 possible.
Statistics: 31.3 pts, 11.8 reb, 5.2 pds, 1.1 int, 1.3 ctr and 3.8 pdb in 33 min.
Percentages: 53% on shots, 24% at 3-pts and 64% on throws.
3 – Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
Assessment: 7 wins, 5 losses – 6th in the West.
Matches: 12 disputed out of 12 possible.
Statistics: 34.3 pts, 8.7 reb, 8.1 pds, 2.0 int, 0.7 ctr and 3.3 pdb in 37 min.
Percentages: 50% on shots, 29% on 3-pts and 75% on throws.
4 – Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
Assessment: 9 wins, 4 losses – 2nd in the West.
Matches: 13 disputed out of 13 possible.
Statistics: 20.8 pts, 9.5 reb, 8.9 pds, 1.5 int, 0.6 ctr and 3.2 pdb in 31 min.
Percentages: 61% on shots, 29% at 3-pts and 88% on throws.
5 – Donovan Mitchell (Riders)
Assessment: 8 wins, 5 losses – 4th in the East.
Matches: 11 disputed out of 13 possible.
Statistics: 31.6 pts, 4.7 reb, 6.1 pds, 1.4 int, 0.6 ctr and 3.4 pdb in 39 min.
Percentages: 51% on shots, 43% at 3-pts and 88% on throws.
Mentions : Devin Booker (Suns), Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Damian Lillard (Blazers), Trae Young and Dejounte Murray (Hawks), Paul George (Clippers), Jimmy Butler (Heat), Joel Embiid (Sixers)…
