PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid's latest matchup against Nikola Jokic was once again a massive success. The Philadelphia 76ers center played excellently and led his team to a win over one of the best teams in the league. The buckets he poured in came from every which way, including from long distance.
Embiid dominated the Denver Nuggets to the tune of 41 points, which included a 3-6 shooting effort from downtown. This was one of just three games from the 76ers superstar where he attempted at least six three-point attempts. When discussing his superstar's wonderful game, Nick Nurse mentioned he wants to see Embiid do more of that.
“I mean, I liked it,” Nurse said of Embiid's performance. “I think that he made, certainly, in the run that got us the advantage, he made some really critical shots. I liked it that he took six threes. I think that's part of his game that he needs to incorporate more. I think that should be like an every-night thing 'cause he's such a good three-point shooter.”
Joel Embiid is averaging 3.3 three-point attempts per game while shooting 36.1 percent on those looks. That percentage is slightly above his career average and his volume is in line with his last four years. The 76ers center has done a lot of creating threes for others but only saves them for himself on occasion. Philly could benefit from Embiid spacing the floor more, even if it only amounts to just one or two more attempts per game.
While no opponent would be fooled into thinking Embiid is going to become a floor spacer, defenses do show him respect from beyond the arc. He is a capable enough shooter to make open threes and also has the capability of getting into pull-up range. Pulling his defender out toward the perimeter would remove the rim protector and allow for more space for others to attack. Or, if a team puts it center on someone else to roam near the paint, the 76ers could either look to get that player an open shot or have Embiid attack the smaller defender that’s on him.
Of course, any increase Joel Embiid shows in his three-point shooting should be marginal. He is still at his best at the nail and the elbows, where he can drive and get into his mid-range looks. That is, after all, how he buried the Nuggets down the stretch.
“I thought he certainly read the game until the end,” Nurse said. “Like at the end, he just kept pouring in buckets. But he was really reading the game and firing it out and finding the guys off the double teams. And how many assists did he have? 10 — and he was on 10 pretty early. I think he had 10 with most of the fourth quarter to go. And then he just started making offensive plays — buckets.”
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