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The Philadelphia 76ers managed to earn a split of their first two games against the Toronto Raptors in their Eastern Conference semifinal thanks in part to a wonderful Game 2 performance by Jimmy Butler and a bench that has made the necessary contributions on both ends.
Sixers center Joel Embiid, however, did very little to contribute to any winning efforts. After playing through knee soreness in the first round against the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid struggled mightily in the series' first two games.
In Game 1, Embiid shot just 5 of 18 from the field. Then in Game 2, the outspoken big man took only seven shots, making just two field goals.
Then in Game 3, Embiid exploded. He poured in 33 points and 10 rebounds, and dominated the paint with five blocks in a resounding 116-95 Sixers victory. Embiid was also more efficient, shooting 50 percent from the field (3 of 4 from beyond the arc) and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line.
During the postgame press conference, Sixers head coach Brett Brown answered with a resounding “yes” when asked if a healthy Embiid was the best player in the series.
But is Embiid truly the best player in a series that also features Kawhi Leonard, one of the best two-way players in basketball?
The case for Joel Embiid
Despite his inefficiencies on the offensive end through the first two games, Embiid's defensive impact was very tangible. The Sixers lost by 13 in Game 1, but Embiid finished the game +4 in terms of plus-minus. More impressively, he was +31 in under 30 minutes of play in Game 3.
According to Basketball-Reference, Embiid's net player rating in these playoffs is +20.0, and he has posted a 97.0 Defensive Rating (per 100 possessions). There is no question that the Sixers are a better team when he is on the floor, even if he is struggling to shoot the ball.
During the regular season, Embiid ranked sixth in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and put up over 27 points and 13 rebounds with nearly two blocks per game.
He has also been a machine at getting to the free-throw line. Embiid's 10.1 free-throw attempts per game ranked second in the NBA to James Harden, and he shot 80 percent from the charity stripe, an astonishing mark for a big.
Then there is the question of matchups. Without Embiid, the Sixers would have no inside presence and not nearly enough shooting to get past Toronto.
But Embiid's ability to cause trouble for Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka frees up the perimeter for Butler and Tobias Harris to operate and get good looks. He truly is an X-factor in the series.
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The case for Leonard
Embiid may be an X-factor, but it is safe to say the Raptors would be down 3-0 without Leonard. The former NBA Finals MVP is averaging almost 38 points per game in addition to seven boards and nearly four assists.
Leonard registered a plus-minus of +26 in Game 1 in a performance where he double-doubled with 45 points and 11 rebounds. And even in Game 3, he scored 33 points on nearly 60 percent shooting from the field.
And despite having a worse defensive rating (101.0) than Embiid, he has a 25.0 net rating (per 100 possessions) during these playoffs, according to Basketball-Reference. Embiid had the upper hand in terms of PER, but Leonard earned more win shares this season as the lone superstar on his team.
Kawhi is also torching just about anyone who guards him, with both Jimmy Butler–one of the best perimeter defenders in the league–and Ben Simmons having little to no success guarding him.
After taking a number of “load management” designations during the regular season, Leonard is averaging is playing nearly 36 minutes per game during these playoffs. Embiid, by contrast, has played just 26.7 minutes per contest.
The verdict
Embiid is probably a whole lot more valuable to that seemingly loaded Sixers starting lineup than people think, but he is not on Leonard's level just yet.
Kawhi has proven to be more efficient (especially offensively) while consistently playing more minutes on a regular basis. Not to mention, there has not really been such a thing as a “healthy” Embiid. He is almost always dinged up, so the point may be moot.
