Bradley Beal and Joel Embiid are vying to be the second-best player in the Eastern Conference
NBA All-Star Weekend is done and finished.
But it seems like one person still hasn’t forgotten about it.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the Eastern Conference. But the battle for second best player in the Eastern Conference is heating up.
And after the All-Star break, both men vying for second have come out swinging.
Let’s start with our first contender, Bradley Beal.
? @RealDealBeal23 hasn’t forgotten about that All-Star snub ? pic.twitter.com/2Ka1SSTphY
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) February 25, 2020
It started on Sunday, when Beal torched Chicago – the same city that hosted this year’s All-Star Weekend.
Bradley Beal poured in a career-high 53 points tonight against Chicago.#WizBulls | @RealDealBeal23 pic.twitter.com/O5SE303psn
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) February 24, 2020
Beal is the only player in the NBA in the top 10 of scoring that was not named an All-Star. He’s second in the NBA in scoring (30.1), trailing only James Harden (35.3).
Furthermore, 16 of the top 20 scorers were selected for the All-Star Game.
Bradley Beal has moved to 2nd place on the Wizards’ all-time scoring list, passing Jeff Malone. Next up is Elvin Hayes.
(Submitted by @nbastatsfrance) pic.twitter.com/JvbrUUeuIO
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 24, 2020
But Beal wasn’t done after Chicago.
By golly, was he not done.
Another career-high for Beal ?@RealDealBeal23 follows up his career-high 53 PTS Sunday with 55 Monday. pic.twitter.com/goKAOZT2V5
— NBA (@NBA) February 25, 2020
Second night of a back-to-back against the NBA’s best team?
Consider us impressed, Brad.
? @RealDealBeal23 has been on a tear! #RepTheDistrict pic.twitter.com/xq5Ultz5ye
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) February 25, 2020
In the footprint of Kobe, Beal has long been one of the NBA’s elite scorers.
Unfortunately, his ability to put the ball in the basket hasn’t translated into wins for the Washington Wizards, at least this season.
Other players are (record):
Kobe Bryant in 2007 (2-0)
Michael Jordan in 1987 (2-0)
Bernard King in 1984 (2-0)
Wilt Chamberlain a bunch of times between 1961-1963 (Wilt never went 0-2, only 1-1)— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 25, 2020
To Beal’s credit, he was in no way excited about his 108 points in two games.
Bradley Beal is averaging 36.2 points in the month February, including two career highs on back-to-back nights in which the Wizards lost. pic.twitter.com/FDK3U7ncpB
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 25, 2020
In fact – by the looks of it – he was downright mad.
Bradley Beal is the first player to score 50 points in a loss in consecutive days. (via @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/XRPELxz1zC
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 25, 2020
The stats support his frustration.
Bradley Beal’s Top Scoring Games This Season
53 PTS, L
47 PTS, L
46 PTS, L
44 PTS, L
44 PTS, 10 AST, W
42 PTS, L
40 PTS, L
37 PTS, Lpic.twitter.com/yINWCmodEZ— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 24, 2020
Beal is a victim of playing on a bad team. The Wizards are ninth in the East with a record of 20-36.
It’s the reason he’s not on national television much. It’s the reason he wasn’t an All-Star. And it’s the reason that the race for second best player in the Eastern Conference is still being run.
That brings us to our second contender, Joel Embiid.
JOEL EMBIID CAREER HIGH ON THE TRIPLE FOR 49 POINTS AND THE INCREDIBLE CELEBRATION AFTER. pic.twitter.com/heersMvk65
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) February 25, 2020
Just last week, Embiid proclaimed himself the best player in the world.
.@ShannonSharpe on @JoelEmbiid declaring himself “best player in the world”:
“The 76ers have the best home record in the NBA, 26-2. They’re 9-19 on the road. The best player in the NBA let that happen on his watch. On a given night I’m not sure he’s the best player on his team.” pic.twitter.com/SGcwbfpNtF
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) February 21, 2020
He might be a little off, but we love the confidence.
However, if Monday night was any indication, he’s definitely in the running.
? A career night for @JoelEmbiid.
49 PTS | 14 REB pic.twitter.com/6u9qaz6rCK
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 25, 2020
But unlike Beal, Embiid doesn’t suffer from being on a bad team. In fact, it’s the opposite.
He suffers from not being able to carry a good team.
“I want to trust Joel Embiid and I know how good he can be. … But to be one of the 5 or 6 best players in the world, which he should be, you need a level of consistency that at this point in his career he hasn’t demonstrated.” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/8MUmVCrIxG
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 25, 2020
The Sixers are 36-22 this season and currently sit at fifth in the East.
But is that really good enough for a team with Embiid, Ben Simmons, Al Horford and Tobias Harris?
“The 76ers season is not over but their championship aspirations, to me, are over. … Now you’re going to get a free look at what could this team be without Ben Simmons. I don’t see them going on a deep playoff run this year, even if Simmons comes back healthy.” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/5Hmi3cJu1K
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 25, 2020
Now, with Simmons hurt, we’ll get to see how Embiid can operate in murky waters, similar to what Beal is forced to deal with nightly.
76ers based on Embiid/Simmons pairings, 2019-20 season:
Both on Court: +0.9 Net Rtg
Just Embiid: +11.8 Net Rtg
Just Simmons: +2.7 Net Rtg“I love Joel Embiid as a player. I love Ben Simmons as a player. I don’t love them together.” — @sarahkustok pic.twitter.com/G10bfjZcGz
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 25, 2020
On the season, Beal is averaging 30.1 points, 6.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals. Embiid averages 23.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 blocks.
Clearly, if you just look at their stats, both have an argument for second place.
But, the one difference – which is at this point is out of Beal’s control – is that Embiid will challenge for a trip to the NBA Finals.
Beal will not.
Until Beal can pair some wins with his outstanding individual performances, it will be hard to put him above Embiid.
Here’s hoping the tide shifts for Bradley the next time he drops 50.
