Witnessing greatness | Sports Daily Newsletter

Even before Joel Embiid unloaded 70 points on the San Antonio Spurs, we had the feeling that we were witnessing something special this season.

At 29, the Sixers big man is in the prime of his career, and with fresh input from new coach Nick Nurse, Embiid has become even more dominant.

How dominant? Entering Thursday’s game, he was averaging 36.1 points along with a career-high 5.9 assists. Wilt Chamberlain once averaged 50.36 points per game in a season, but the NBA was far different in 1962. Michael Jordan’s best was 37.1 ppg in 1986-87 and our old friend James Harden averaged an eye-popping 36.1 in 2018-19.

That’s some heady company. Embiid earned his seventh All-Star selection when the starters were unveiled Thursday night.

He has been something to behold. The caveat, of course, is Embiid’s sometimes brittle body, which has never held up wire-to-wire. He has missed 10 games already this season, but if the big guy can stay healthy throughout the playoffs, we could be in for something really special.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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The Eagles defense had its struggles and could perhaps use a different philosophy on acquiring talent, especially at the linebacker position. The offense has been described as “stale.” With that said, which players will the Eagles keep, and which will depart? Beat writer Jeff McLane has made his predictions, and you can, too.

For now, both coordinators have been fired. Here’s more on Vic Fangio, as he could be the pick to lead a defense that includes potential defensive rookie of the year Jalen Carter.

Craig Reynolds, a former Abington High and Kutztown star, will suit up for the Detroit Lions in the NFC championship game. He’s living his NFL dream — and his brother’s.

Trivia question: Who scored the most points in a single season for the Flyers?

No, the answer isn’t Bobby Clarke. Or Eric Lindros. Or even Claude Giroux. That record belongs to Mark Recchi, who racked up 123 points in 84 games in 1992-93. On Saturday, Recchi will be recognized for his prestigious career with the Orange and Black, as he will become the 28th member to be inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame. Ahead of Recchi’s big day, Jackie Spiegel looks back at No. 8′s banner first season with the Flyers.

The Flyers sure could have used some of Recchi’s offense on Thursday night, as they were shut out by the Detroit Red Wings for their fourth loss in a row.

Next: After honoring Recchi pregame, the Flyers will face the Boston Bruins on Saturday. (12:30 p.m., NBCSP).

The Phillies have enjoyed deep and memorable playoff runs the past two seasons, but they’ve taken a laborious route to get there through the wild card. Much of that was due to slow starts to the season that forced them to play catch-up and make it harder to win the National League East. Manager Rob Thomson hopes to change that and has been working on some strategies to help the Phillies start the 2024 season strong.

Tyrese Maxey is in the midst of a breakout season, but he was not listed among the 41 NBA players who were selected to the USA Basketball player pool for the 2024 Olympics. Does the Sixers point guard feel snubbed?

“You can use everything as motivation,” Maxey said. “And [being snubbed], that’s something you mark on the list, of course.”

The easygoing Maxey also said: “But it’s not going to make me upset. I mean, I understand it, and I still want them to win, so hey.”

Although Embiid scored 30+ points for the 21st consecutive game on Thursday, the Sixers saw their six-game win streak come to an end in a 134-122 loss to Indiana.

Next: The Sixers will visit the Denver Nuggets on Saturday (5:30 p.m., 6ABC).

We asked you: What do you think about Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator? Among your responses:

Any guy from Dunmore, Pa. has to be good and tough. — Jim C.

Didn’t Fangio have the opportunity to be the defensive coordinator after Gannon left? Why would he want to leave Miami as the defensive coordinator to become the Eagles defensive coordinator and in fact, is that permissible for a coach to go from one team as a defensive coordinator to another team in that same parallel capacity? — Will S.

Vic Fangio certainly has the experience and excellent record of defensive management success, so I think the Eagles would be fortunate to get him. And nothing to to do with defense, but he is also a native Pennsylvanian. As I read up on his background this morning it seems as if he has had some background with the Eagles and is very familiar with their personnel and management. ... I think his many years of experience could be just what still young and NFL inexperienced Mr. Sirianni needs. Now 30 teams who did not get to the Super Bowl will all be hiring new high-profile coaches and GM’s as well as trading players etc. in an effort to be a serious contender. Great times for our Inquirer sportswriters for sure. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Keith Pompey, Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Jeff McLane, Matt Breen, Devin Jackson, Alex Coffey, Jackie Spiegel, DeAntae Prince, and Jeff Neiburg.

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Another busy week of Sports Daily is in the books. See you in Monday’s newsletter. — Jim