76ers' Joel Embiid is finally starting to hit his stride

Entering the new year, the Philadelphia 76ers sit at 19-14, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference. After defeating the New York Knicks on Saturday, the Sixers look to make it four in a row on Monday.

Over the last week of games, a familiar face in Philadelphia has been playing like his old self. Joel Embiid looks like the MVP candidate he used to be. 

Former MVP Joel Embiid is starting to hit his stride

Averaging 28.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals and blocks a night, Embiid is finally hitting his stride over his last seven games.

The first 20 games of the year were rocky for Embiid, playing in less than half of the 76ers' games. In those games, Embiid only averaged 19.4 points with 5.3 boards and 3.1 assists a game. A modest stat line, but not as impactful compared to his 2022-23 MVP season, where he averaged 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 4.2 AST. 

The difference for Embiid? His availability. In that opening stretch, Embiid missed nine games due to a knee injury, and when he did play, his minutes were restricted. Playing only 24 minutes a night, Embiid was rarely on the court toward the end of the game. 

Since then, the 7-footer has played at least 30 minutes in eight of nine games, averaging almost 32 minutes a night. With increased time, Embiid can take more shots and find his rhythm on the court. 

Over his career, Embiid has become notorious for his ability to draw fouls. On a per-game basis, he ranks first all-time in free throws made (8.3 FTM/G) and third all-time in free throws attempted (9.97 FTA/G). 

As of late, Embiid has done a better job at doing just that. He's attempting 10.6 free throws a game, averaging 8.6 makes and an .811 FT%. 

Joel Embiid can still thrive in a secondary role

Embiid has proved that he can still be a dominant player when he's on the court. He may not be averaging 30 points a night as he used to, but he doesn't need to anymore. 

Embiid doesn't need to be the primary scorer when Tyrese Maxey is playing as great as he is. Maxey's 31.1 PPG ranks third in the NBA, along with averaging the third-most threes per game (3.7), fifth-most steals (1.8) and tied for 10th-most assists (7.1). 

Both Maxey and Embiid work best as ball-dominant players. With Maxey taking over as the primary scorer and continuing as the ball-handler, Embiid has taken a backseat to Maxey.

That doesn't mean Embiid won't get his touches when he runs the possession. In those situations, Embiid can either put up a shot or kick out and take advantage of Maxey's catch-and-shoot abilities. 

If this duo, along with a very solid supporting cast, can stay healthy and on the court, then there's a chance they can make a run in the East this season. During their run, the Sixers have gone 4-3 with both a win streak and a losing streak of three games. The Sixers sit six games away from the East-leading Detroit Pistons and only four games ahead of the 10th-seeded Atlanta Hawks. 

Right in the middle of the East, it feels like one great stretch of games can put them near the Pistons, but one bad stretch could have them near the bottom of the play-in bracket. 

Philly will look to continue its win streak Monday as the Nikola Jokic-less Denver Nuggets come to town. Despite being listed game-to-game, Embiid is on track to make his fourth consecutive start, his longest of this season.