3 reasons why Joel Embiid could win the scoring title in the 2021-22 NBA season

#2 Joel Embiid is nearing his best NBA years

Philadelphia 76ers v Atlanta Hawks - Game Six

Most NBA players peak between the age of 28 to 32. As star players acquire experience and mileage in this league, they simply get better. James Harden won his three successive scoring titles between 2017 and 2020 when he was 28, 29 and 30 years old. In fact, the last six scoring titles have been won by NBA players (Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and Harden) aged 28 or older.

Embiid is 27 at the moment. This means we are yet to see the best of Embiid. Already, last season we saw Embiid crack the 50.0% shooting efficiency benchmark from the floor for the first time in his five-year NBA career. His scoring also hit a new high at this stage of his career. Given that a center like the great Shaquille O’Neal shot 58.2% for his career and no less than 57.2% in a single NBA season between the age of 27-32, Embiid can certainly improve his shooting efficiency, which would automatically translate into more points for the big man.

#3 Rule change on shooting fouls

Philadelphia 76ers v Atlanta Hawks - Game Six

We have already seen the impact the NBA’s new rule change is having on foul-hunting stars. Players like Curry and Harden aren’t getting as easily to the free throw line on these “overt, abrupt or abnormal basketball moves.” The league’s decision to not call fouls on such plays has a direct bearing on the scoring averages of these players since both Curry and Harden are excellent free throw shooters.

This in turn affects Embiid’s chances of winning the scoring title because Curry and Harden have five of the NBA’s last six scoring titles between them. If we take Russell Westbrook into account another player previously guilty of earning trips to the charity stripe by looking to create unnecessary contact with the defensive players, that means the rule change affects the NBA’s last seven scoring title winners. A decline in Curry’s, Westbrook’s or Harden’s scoring averages could mean that Embiid finishes ahead of them without the Philadelphia having to make any big adjustments in his scoring output.