PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is a star who can get it done on either end of the floor. He leads the league in scoring (33.4 points per game) while defying logic for a man of his size at his position.
However, it isn’t just the offense that gets attention. It’s his defensive work as well.
After recording four blocks in Sunday’s 112-93 win over the Washington Wizards, Embiid is averaging 2.3 blocks per game since the All-Star break. He, along with PJ Tucker, continue to set the tone on the defensive end of the floor.
“I’m healthier,” Embiid said. “So that helps a lot and then we’re getting to that point of the season where you got to be on point when it comes to everything. Offensively and defensively. Usually, in the past, my defense from the regular season to the playoffs has always gone to another level. So it’s all about trying to build it.”
It also helps that Embiid is playing a different role for the Sixers on the defensive end. Instead of defending one guy and focusing on him, the big fella is now a roamer in the back of Philadelphia’s defense. Considering most big men in the NBA are mostly stretch players who can step out and knock down jumpers, it makes the most sense to have Embiid roam.
“I think it makes sense with our team,” Embiid stated. “Just someone that can protect the rim. We got a lot of guys that like to be aggressive and then we have a lot of breakdowns defensively so if you’re gonna have your best rim protector on a stretch five, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense or they’re gonna have a lot of wide-open layups. It makes sense for the team. So whatever works, you got to keep doing it.”
Philadelphia has won five in a row and is creeping up on the second-place Boston Celtics The Sixers are 1 1/2 games behind Boston with 15 games to play. The reason for their success is due to the play of Embiid.
“Like I always say, I’m just working on my game,” he finished. “I’m just seeing what works and what doesn’t, but we needed that intensity defensively and it’s not just about me. We got to do it as a team.”
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=]
[lawrence-related id=76722,76719,76716]