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We finally got a good glimpse of Joel Embiid's game this season. The seven-foot center displayed his soft stroke from the outside along with his great footwork in the paint. He used his heft, too, in bodying up those who attempt to shoot over him, deflecting several shots along the way. And for all his efforts on the defensive end, Embiid believes that he should be crowned Defensive Player of the Year.
As reported by Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the 24-year-old believes that he has done it all on the defensive end this season:
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“I should be the Defensive Player of the Year because I feel like all year long we've done it,” Embiid said. “My teammates have helped me a lot and I'm in this situation because of them. I give them a lot of credit. But I still feel like I've been the best Defensive Player in the league this year.
“Last year, I kind of had the knock on me of not playing a lot of games, but this year I've played a lot of games, so I don't know what excuse they're going to find next,” Embiid said.
In 63 games this season, Embiid averaged 22.9 points, 11 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.8 blocks. He made his first All-Star appearance and together with Ben Simmons, they led the Philadelphia 76ers back into playoff contention.
Embiid suffered an orbital bone fracture on March 28 after an in-game collision with teammate Markelle Fultz. Though the injury is not that serious, Embiid may miss the first few games of the playoffs.
