With the Philadelphia 76ers losing to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, the team ended their season early, and all eyes were once again on the team's star Joel Embiid. The center, who was named MVP last season, has failed to live up to expectations in the playoffs, especially when compared to top interior players like Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic. What's Embiid's problem? And how can we adapt to meet the challenges of the future?
During the regular season, Embiid showed a well-rounded scoring arsenal, from low-post singles to mid-range jumpers to increasingly sophisticated three-point shots. However, after entering the high-intensity confrontation in the playoffs, Embiid's offensive efficiency has dropped significantly, not only because of the opponent's targeted defensive setup, such as the shrinking interior strategy used by the Celtics and Knicks, but also because of his relative lack of passing ability. Embiid can make passing options when facing packs, but he often lacks creative assists and fails to fully engage his teammates in the offense. In contrast, Jokic showed a higher basketball IQ and passing skills when handling the pack, effectively cracking the opponent's defense.
Embiid's ability on the defensive end should not be underestimated, and his presence made the 76ers' basket an insurmountable barrier for opponents, and he was named to the All-Defensive Team. However, the high-intensity defensive tasks often get him into foul trouble, limiting his time on the court, especially in key moments. In addition, due to the imperfection of the team's overall defensive system, Embiid often had to take on excessive defensive loads, which put extremely high demands on his physical fitness and concentration, which indirectly affected his performance on the offensive end.
The 76ers' roster configuration is also one of the factors that limit Embiid's play. The addition of James Harden was expected to be high, but his performance in the playoffs has been far less than expected, especially on the offensive end, with limited contributions allowing opponents to focus more on limiting Embiid. In addition, the lack of contribution from role players in key moments makes it too reliant on the individual abilities of Embiid and Harden to form an effective team combination.
For Embiid, it's important to adjust his style of play and improve his game-reading and passing skills. He needs to be more calm in finding his teammates when facing the pack, and use his containment to create more scoring opportunities for his teammates. At the same time, improve the free throw shooting percentage and three-point stability to increase the difficulty of the opponent's defense.
And for 76ers management, a roster reshuffle around Embiid and Tyrese Maxey is imperative. The team needs to bring in or develop more players who can relieve Embiid of the pressure on both offensive and defensive ends, especially adding shooters and defensive stalwarts on the wing position, so as to enrich the team's tactical system and maximize Embiid's influence on the court.
Embiid's individual ability is undoubted, but how to play the dominant role in the playoffs is not only about the improvement of individual skills, but also about the overall tactical layout and personnel allocation of the team. If the Philadelphia 76ers want to go far in the playoffs, they will have to reflect deeply and address these issues.