Embiid is currently leading the league in PPG at 31.9 in just 34 minutes per game. He is also averaging 6.2 APG. (32/11/6). He’s also shooting a career high 88.5% from the free throw line.
This means he is scoring more than, and assisting as much or more than the following guards:
Steph Curry
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Donovan Mitchell
Anthony Edwards
Tyrese Maxey
Damien Lillard (tied in APG)
Jalen Brunson
Kyrie Irving
Since this is a post about Embiid I’m also obligated to acknowledge Jokic’s obscene statline at 29/14/9 through the first 13 games.
I’m a fan of centers, and the modern NBA is a new golden age for big men, especially as we see the Chet and Wemby coming into the league.
Embiid watching Joker win a ring and taking a page or two from how he plays would be smart.
The best centers are now the main playmakers of their teams
Shout out to Sengun as well. There’s a lot of great young centers in the league right now
Going from Doc to a Nurse is usually a downgrade, but this is a different case.
Depends on if the Doc is engaging in malpractice, which ours certainly was.
The offense has looked fantastic under Nurse. Seems built for the strengths of all of our players. Happy to see Embiid finally add efficient passing to his arsenal.
He’s always had that at least a little. Doc just put him in positions where he was asked to make a ton of tough ass passes that only really good passers should have to consistently make.
Upon the many improvements to the Philly offense last year, moving on from PJ Tucker feels underrated. He did a lot of positive things but was a statue on offense who you could basically ignore unless he caught a perfect straight line pass with no one around him.
Teams can’t help as much and are punished more aggressively for doubling Embiid.
Flashbacks of Robert Williams just ignoring Tucker in the corner to help on Joel every drive
I think having guys like PJ as a part time 9th man works.
But when the other team can plan for him being a reluctant shooter in the same spot every possession, it’s so hard to run half court offense in the playoffs. Same with Ben in dunker spot. Just playing 4 on 5
Maxey has more assists - 7.1 per game. But Joel has been an exceptional passer this year
numbers are hard
Thinking Basketball made a good video about the Sixers’ offense and why it’s actually slightly better this year than last year with Harden gone.
Philly has essentially chopped their isolations in half, and Nurse has introduced a ton of movement into the offense. Philly now uses “handoffs” a lot now, and a lot of opportunities for cutters/shooters open up from that which Maxey can find either in a P&R or Embiid can find from the short roll/elbow