Last season, the Philadelphia 76ers saw their quest for the Larry O’Brien trophy end at the hands of Kawhi Leonard and one of the most dramatic shots the NBA has ever seen.
And when Joel Embiid returned to the scene of the crime — the place where he was last seen sobbing in the aftermath of the heartbreak — he turned in the worst performance of his young career.
In the games since then, though, the young big man has been quite dominant. With 32 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in Saturday night’s win over the visiting Indiana Pacers, Embiid has put together an incredible stretch. Over the last three contests, he’s averaging 30.7 points, 14.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and two blocks. He’s also taken a total of 44 free throws, an average of 14.7 per contest.
His newfound productivity isn’t a coincidence, either. According to Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice, Embiid has experienced an awakening since the Nov. 25 debacle at Scotiabank Arena.
Since the Toronto game, I kind of changed my mindset on the whole season. I have not been as aggressive as I was last year, attempting 10 free throws a game, so the last couple of games I have just been aggressive… Just being more physical, creating the contact, causing whoever is guarding me to react to it.
Of course, until the Sixers head back up to Toronto and Embiid’s dominance travels to Canada with him, little else will matter. As of right now, the perception is that the combination of Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam is a bit too much for him. His individual brilliance and ability to put up impressive stat lines has never been in question. His ability to beat the Raptors has.
Embiid will have the opportunity to prove otherwise when the Sixers next play at the Raptors on Jan. 22, though Toronto will pay Philadelphia a visit for a Dec. 8 contest at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers will enter play on Dec. 1 with a 14-6 record, while the Raptors — even without Leonard — are sitting pretty at 14-4./
Embiid will have to wait a few games to get some revenge against the Raptors, but he is helping the Sixers do something more important right now — string together some wins. The club has now won three straight and seven of their last eight and will host the Utah Jazz on Monday night.
Hopefully, for the team’s sake, Embiid’s dominance will continue.