PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid's evolution is on full display as the Philadelphia 76ers look to defeat the Brooklyn Nets in the 2023 NBA playoffs. The Sixers are up 2-0 after surviving a messy, gritty Game 2 in which Embiid continued to face an onslaught of defenders from Brooklyn.
Embiid has scored 26 and 20 points respectively over the first two games of the series, well below his regular-season average of 33.1 points per game. He has had to deal with getting double-teamed (and sometimes triple-teamed) ad nauseam by the Nets and has responded accordingly. Sharing the ball and getting his own looks so infrequently is not how he normally plays. But to him, it's all the same.
“I think that's probably why I get double- and triple-teamed a lot. A lot of people think I just love scoring the basketball, which I don't think it’s true,” Embiid said after Game 2. “I enjoy winning and doing whatever it takes to win. Some nights, I might have to shoot a lot and score a lot. Some nights, I'm gonna get double-teamed and then have to make the passes.
“But I believe in playing the right way,” the Sixers superstar continued, “which is getting your teammates involved in double/triple teams, making sure everybody touches the ball, sees the ball. That's what I believe in and it's fun playing that way. Everybody's happy. Doesn't matter if I have four points as long as we score and guys are doing their jobs and making shots. That makes me happy.”
Embiid has always been a talented scorer but not until recently was someone that could lead the offense every single possession. Double teams used to give him trouble, knocking him further off his game by putting him in a mindset where he frantically tried to dig himself out on his own.
Now, Embiid has embraced the idea of helping his teammates help him. Being the centerpiece of one of the best three-point shooting rosters in the league definitely helps but that's not the only factor. Embiid developing a more holistic look of the game and altering the facets of his play style to fit more seamlessly with James Harden has made the Sixers better — and has made winning fun for him in new ways.
“It's the happiest I've ever seen him, since I've been here, with other guys making shots,” Doc Rivers said. “He was really celebrating his teammates tonight because of what they were trying to do to him. I think that's a great statement for our team.”
After Embiid led the Sixers to victory against the Memphis Grizzlies in his worst shooting game of the season, Rivers pointed out that the big man is mentally tougher and can do much more than score to impact the game. In that February win, he led the way with his defense while shooting a paltry 7-25 from the floor.
The story is similar against the Nets. With at least two defenders stepping up to him on just about every possession, Embid is embracing the trust he has built with his teammates over the course of the season. “We had to be in Joel's vision for when they trapped him to help them out,” said Tyrese Maxey, who was assisted on four buckets from Embiid in his 33-point outing. “And I think we did that.” Embiid is also making sure anyone who tries to get a shot off in the paint is met with stingy defense.
His constant battles for positioning in the post don't always end with him getting the ball. But he's not showing any fear of coming back down the court and trying again. Double teams at the nail and the elbows often chase him back outside the arc. But he's ready to get right back in there and give it another go. His perseverance comes from more than just his overwhelming stature; he owes a lot of it to his immense confidence and preparation, which has allowed him to thrive in any situation.
Rivers coined a term that he has looked to drill into the Sixers' psyche: it's a “we” season, not a “me” season. The embrace of that sense of togetherness starts with Joel Embiid, a scoring champion and likely MVP who is more than happy to defer to his teammates in order to win. He and the team hope more than anything that it ends with a championship.
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