Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has made significant strides in his post game. According to him, patience has been the key factor in his improvement for the Sixers.
Per Jon Johnson of 94 WIP Sports Radio, Joel Embiid shared that he's learning to kick the ball instead of forcing his way.
Joel Embiid on having ball down low: "It's all about patience. I either have it or I don't." Says he is learning to pass it out, rather than forcing.
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) July 23, 2020
Statistics reveal that Joel Embiid scores 1.12 points per possession in post-up situations. He ranks within the top 15 in the league and with this type of production, defenses are naturally going to collapse on him. Embiid and head coach Brett Brown is wary of this fact. The target on Embiid's back gets larger once he gets the ball in the post.
Learning to kick it out is one way to counter this type of defensive coverage. Another is to remain aggressive with hopes that he'll draw fouls from the over-eager defenders. Brown wants Joel Embiid to be aggressive and has set a free-throw line minimum for the big man.
"It's just about me being aggressive" – Embiid on Brown wanting him to get to FT line minimum 10-15 times per game.
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) July 23, 2020
These numbers are backed up by data. Last season, Joel Embiid went to the free-throw line 10.1 times — a career-high. This year, it dropped to 8.7.
Joel Embiid's performance is going to be key as the Sixers embark on another deep playoff run. They're 39-26 on the season and are looking to move up the standings in the East.
Analysts consider the 76ers as the dark horse squad who can win the title. After all, they've made it all the way to the conference semis in the last two years. The goal for the season is not simply to replicate their success before. The 76ers want to improve — and that means winning the title by any means necessary, with Joel Embiid being a centerpiece of that pursuit.
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