(Note: This article is a translation of Yaron Weitzman and does not represent the views of the translator and the platform)
Joel Embiid not only played the best basketball of his career, he also played the best basketball we've ever seen.
He ranks third in the league in scoring (averaging 28.9 points per game) and second in the league in PER (Player Efficiency Points). Miraculously, he's just 2.5 wins away from the 76ers without Simmons from the first place in the East, and the 76ers are currently fifth in the East with a record of 29 wins and 19 losses.
In 27-year-old Embiid, we see an unprecedentedly great player at his peak.
Yaron Witzenmann gives five reasons why Joel Embiid is the NBA's best player, and based on this, let's take a look at what makes Embiid so special.
1. His two-way dominance
For me, that's the best way to explain why Embiid is so unique, because Embiid is the cornerstone of the 76ers on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. No player in the league has been able to do that except him.
It's not just that Embiid is both a dominant scorer and a tough defender. It's all the more because if he doesn't play at his best, the 76ers can't play well on either end.
When Embiid was on the court, the 76ers had elite-level performances on both ends of the floor. When he wasn't there, the 76ers were basically the Knicks.
The following is the statistics of Cleaning the Glass (the statistics deadline is January 28, 2022 Beijing time):
When Embiid is on the floor, the 76ers can score 115.1 points per 100 possessions, ranking second in the league, and the offensive efficiency without Embiid is only 109.7 points, ranking 23rd in the league.
When Embiid was on the floor, the 76ers conceded 108 points per 100 possessions, ranking 6th in the league, and without Embiid, they conceded 111.1 points, ranking 20th in the league.
Look around the league and tell me which other player is being asked to be that? The closest are probably Giannis Antetokounmpo and Durant, but they both have better role player assistance.
Physical fitness used to be a problem for Embiid, and it's a problem that has made his performances this season even more incredible. Obviously, this is no longer a problem.
2. He's improving every year
Big or small, Embiid has improved in basically every aspect of the game.
There was a time in his career when he would foul regularly on the field, but it has changed a lot, and in the past few seasons his foul rate has almost halved. In the 2019-2020 season, he averaged 5.6 fouls per 100 rounds, compared to just 3.9 this year.
There was a time when Embiid was an unstable three-point shooter. But this season, he's averaged 5.1 three-pointers per game, shooting a career-high 39 percent.
When Embiid first entered the league, he was a machine for mistakes. He was careless in his handling of the ball and had a hard time deciphering the opposing defence. Opponents also like to wrap him up because they know embiid is more likely to make mistakes with the ball himself than to find a pass from someone who has an empty spot.
Now things are different. Embiid made an average of 4.4 offensive turnovers per 100 possessions (7.3 as a rookie) and set a career-high assist record. Watch the game and you can even see him directing the game in the low and arc tops, prompting teammates where to stand.
"For me, the game has also slowed down. My basketball IQ has improved tremendously," Embiid said recently, "and it's not just for the game." This year I've been asked to be perfect in every aspect of offense, defense, organizing offense, and that's also to make sure everyone is in the right place. ”
He now takes his physical training very seriously, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to do all the moves on the field, and his game has reached the point where opponents can't find a better way to defend him. Defending him alone, he will directly crush you, wrap him, and he will choose to pass the ball to his teammates in the empty position.
3. He is now the scoring center
It's a category that Embiid improves every year, but it's an interesting one, and he's found his own way.
After Tuesday's win over the Hornets, Tobias Harris said of him: "This big guy is like a guard. ”
Embiid doesn't just organize offense at half-time, he often makes quick attacks on his own after grabbing defensive rebounds.
Sometimes he sweeps the field and completes a quick attack (which is also a huge improvement, because in the past few years, Embiid's most likely result is that he breaks through a defensive player and is immediately judged to be fouled), and sometimes he organizes the attack as a point guard.
Embiid recently said: "This has always been the case, but this year, I have more freedom to do these things. Whether it's my own fast-break or the transfer of the ball, I have more freedom to do these things this year than I did the year before.
We have a very good organizing player and you have to pass the ball to him so he can play... He's very good at this. His absence clearly left a void in this category, which is why I decided to take my game to the next level. ”
4. He is a leader (although not born)
A cooler, and perhaps more important, development this season was Embiid's acceptance of his role as team leader. He seems to be a teammate with a greater voice, and he is more willing to take responsibility for himself, which is not his past strength.
This year, with Simmons' absence, you can see Embiid's decision to take on more responsibility for his team-mates, which means constructive criticism of the young players. It also means that teams have to stand up when they need themselves.
These things may seem trivial, but I don't think these changes coincide with the best period of Embiid's career, and it's these subtle changes that helped the 76ers achieve what is now unexpected.
5. The one who fights for the ring with him doesn't have to be an All-Star
Let's start by stating: The 76ers haven't reached their goal yet, and this team, with its current composition, is unlikely to win a championship, regardless of its record.
That said, if Embiid is going to prove anything now, it's that he doesn't necessarily need another All-Star-level partner to compete for a championship ring together.
But the 76ers' management admitted: "We need multiple stars to win the championship and if we don't have them, it doesn't make sense." ”
Who knows what will eventually happen in Philadelphia? But based on embiid's current style of play, I think if the 76ers can add a little bit to the roster, not necessarily the All-Star players, they will still have a chance.
That's the case with Embiid: He's probably the only player in the league to do that.
(Ah Shuai)