Sixers' Joel Embiid Named NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Month

Joel Embiid wanted recognition for his play last season, but he didn't get what he thought he deserved.

This year, the Philadelphia 76ers center is on a mission. Although Embiid made it clear he isn't focused on winning solo awards as he would rather win a championship, the Sixers All-Star made it apparent that as long as he's leading his team to victory, the solo acknowledgments will follow.

"When you win, everybody wins," Embiid said back in December. "We gotta be able to go out every single night and do whatever we can to win. Of course, you would like to be Defensive Player of the Year, MVP. I would like to be the same, but none of that is going to happen if we don't win. That's not what we're focused on. We're focused on what we can accomplish as a group."

So far this season, the Sixers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. 21 games into the year, they hold a 15-6 record while sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference. While the 76ers have looked stellar all-around from the coaching staff to Embiid's supporting cast, the three-time All-Star has earned himself the right to be called the Eastern Conference Player of the Month through the first month and some change this year.

Although he missed five games, Embiid's dominance was hard to overlook in the games he did play in. In 16 games, Embiid has accounted for a career-high of 28 points-per-game in an average of 31 minutes on the floor. He has also collected 11 rebounds-per-game while blocking 1.3 shots-per-game. 

There is still a lot of basketball left to be played this season, so it's too early to start throwing solo seasonal awards at Embiid right now. However, earning Player of the Month is a spectacular start to the big man's MVP campaign. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_