Joel Embiid shines to power Philadelphia 76ers to victory over New York Knicks

Jay Asser 08:01 16/03/2018
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  • Joel Embiid finishes at the rim in the win against the Knicks.

    A late surge spearheaded by Joel Embiid helped the Philadelphia 76ers fight back for a 118-110 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday.

    Embiid treated the Madison Square Garden faithful to an all-around performance by posting a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds, paving the way for a road victory as the 76ers jockey for position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

    Here, we analyse the Philadelphia centre, who turns 24 on Friday.

    STATISTICS

    Points – 29

    Rebounds – 10
    Assists – 4
    Blocks – 2
    Turnovers – 3
    Field goals – 11-21
    3-pointers – 2-5
    Free throws – 5-7
    Minutes – 32
    Plus-minus – +9

    30-SECOND REPORT

    There are very few players in the NBA that possess the mix of size and skill that Embiid does. The 76ers big man is truly one of the league’s ‘unicorns’ and his impact on the game is practically constant every second he plays.

    The first thing that’s obvious when seeing Embiid live and in-person is his size. Listed at 7-foot-0, 250 pounds, Embiid is every bit that as an imposing figure that dwarfs over his peers.

    That size becomes even more breath-taking when he shows off his technical ability, which allows him to do nearly everything on a basketball court. Embiid is the engine that powers Philadelphia’s offence and many of their sets begin and end with him receiving the ball at the top of the arc or at the elbows.

    He has the ability to post-up, roll to the rim or pop for a jumper after setting a screen, attack closeouts and create his own shot in one-on-one isolation situations at the elbow.

    On the other end of the floor, he’s a wall in on-ball situations and when he rotates quick enough, is a lethal help defender.

    GOT RIGHT

    Attacking closeouts – Embiid din’t settle for many contested 3-pointers and instead did well to pump and head fake to get defenders leaning the wrong way, before zooming past them for easy driving lanes.

    Rim protection – Both of Embiid’s blocks were highlight worthy, especially the second one in which he stared down Trey Burke after. It’s part of the reason why he might pick up Defensive Player of the Year.

    GOT WRONG

    Posting up – It just wasn’t Embiid’s night in the post as several of his possessions there ended with low-percentage shots or turnovers. Philadelphia went away from that in the second half as Embiid faced up more.

    Ball movement – This is nitpicking, but there were times when Embiid caught the ball and it kind of stuck to him. He’s a great passer for his position so this is just holding him to a high standard, which he can meet.

    KEY MOMENTS

    First quarter, 7:49, LAYUP: Embiid receives a pass above the 3-point line and pump fakes to get the closing out defender off his feet, drives and finishes at the rim.

    First quarter, 6:17, 3-POINTER: As the 76ers sling the ball around, Embiid finds himself alone on the perimeter and slides into the corner, where he receives a pass from a driving Ben Simmons and splashes a triple.

    Second quarter, 11:11, BLOCK: Embiid finds himself covering Trey Burke on a switch but after getting beaten by the guard’s quickness, he recovers as a help defender to block Kyle O’Quinn’s point-blank shot to force a jump ball, which he wins.

    Second quarter, 7:59, ASSIST: After catching the pass at the elbow, Embiid pivots around and flashes his playmaking by delivering a pinpoint backdoor pass to a cutting Marco Belinelli for a layup.

    Second quarter, 7:29, TURNOVER: Embiid sets up in the low block, but after being fed the ball, he has it knocked away and then throws a wild, errant pass into the backcourt to give possession to the 76ers.

    Fourth quarter, 11:50, DUNK: Philadelphia run a beautiful play on their first possession of the quarter, which sees Embiid passing from the top of the arc and using a back screen to catch a lob for an and-one.

    Fourth quarter, 2:26, BLOCK: Embiid gets switched onto Emmanuel Mudiay, who backs out and tries to attack the mismatch, only for the 76ers centre to meet him at the rim and block the layup, resulting in a fast-break 3-pointer for J.J. Redick.

    VERDICT

    This type of performance is why Embiid was an All-Star and developing into one of the game’s brightest stars. He can do a little bit of everything and when he’s clicking, the rest of his team-mates feed off his energy.

    The crazy thing is, he still has room to grow and years to sharpen his offensive arsenal, which is getting more and more extensive. Defensively, his presence can’t be understated.

    Trust the Process indeed.

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