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Throughout history, numerous up-and-coming prospects have been labeled generational talents. While they may have the potential, few actually live up to that level of praise. It took some time to get there, but Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is in the category of players who are one of a kind.
Over the past two years, the All-Star center has emerged as one of the NBA's top talents. If not for missed games last season, Embiid likely wins MVP. Following an otherworldly stretch from him over the last month and change, he is right back in the MVP discussion for a second straight season.
Currently, Embiid is posting averages of 29.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks. On top of that, he is shooting 50% from the field and close to 37% from beyond the arc. His ability to do damage from just about anywhere on the floor has made him a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Coming into the league, Embiid was not the lethal three-level scorer we see today. Primarily, he was a low-post threat with elite footwork with flashes of shooting touch. Now, Embiid is a 7-foot, 280-pound center who has moves in his arsenal typically performed by guards and forwards. This combination of size and grace is a rarity to say the least.
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Joel Embiid has always been a fierce competitor with a strong desire to cement his name among the greats. This has been his driving force in adding more to his game with each passing season. Even after a career year that almost netted him MVP, he still managed to make improvements in the offseason.
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Along with his hunger for greatness, previous shortcomings have also been a huge motivator for Embiid to become an all-around player. He recently opened up on this after the Sixers' win over the Los Angeles Lakers last Thursday.
“To be able to dominate, especially when you get to the playoffs, you got to be able to do something else. You got to be able to create off the dribble, shoot off the dribble, do a bunch of other things. I mentioned a couple of days ago, my first two playoffs were failures because I was a post-up player and it was easy to double-team me. We just needed to add something else to my game,” said Embiid
Comments like this are a testament to Embiid's maturity and accountability. He understood his game had flaws on the biggest stage and worked tirelessly to make himself more equipped for the postseason.
The current iteration of Embiid is built much better for the playoffs than in years past. Not only is he more than a low-post threat, but his improved passing has allowed him to handle double-teams much better.
Falling short in ugly fashion might not have been great in the moment, but without it, we might not have seen Joel Embiid make the meteoric leap to the player he is today.
