Sixers' Joel Embiid, Shake Milton Nominated for Player of the Week
The past week hasn't been all great for the Philadelphia 76ers. As they started the fifth week of the NBA season off shorthanded, the Sixers struggled against the Atlanta Hawks on the road. When they returned to South Philly, though, the Sixers slowly started getting healthier and received some notable solo performances from a couple of their players.
Last Tuesday night, the Sixers played the shorthanded Miami Heat. With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in the mix, the 76ers knew they should've taken care of business with ease against the Heat. However, the 2020 NBA Finals runner-ups put up a good fight despite being without a few of their stars.
The game probably shouldn't have been as close, but it ended up going into overtime. And Sixers center Joel Embiid flashed his star power and single handily took the game over with a 45-point performance in 39 minutes of action. During the previous game against the Hawks, Embiid was the lone standout as he scored 24 points before sitting out a good chunk of the second half.
Embiid's performances against the Hawks and the Heat earned him a nomination for Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 5, but his absence on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies likely shot down the chances of the big man actually receiving the nod this week.
Along with Embiid, Sixers veteran guard Shake Milton received consideration for Eastern Conference Player of the Week as well. Although Milton missed the matchup against Atlanta and the first game against Miami due to Health and Safety Protocols, the backup guard came back with two excellent performances against the Heat and the Grizzlies last week.
Against Miami, Milton drained 11 of his 15 shots from the field, totaling for 31 points in the blowout win. Then on Saturday, Milton played a significant role in the Sixers' attempted comeback against the Grizzlies as he knocked down 10 of his 18 shots for 28 points. Unfortunately, Milton only played in two of four games last week, which likely made it difficult for the league to name him the Player of the Week.
Although Embiid and Milton received consideration, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant ultimately earned the honors. He averaged 34 points-per-game and eight assists while leading his team to a 3-0 stretch last week.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
