Since stepping foot in the NBA, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has been obsessed with adding more to his arsenal. Thanks to this dedication to his craft, the All-Star center has become a one-of-a-kind type player. The things he can do at his size are things we have never seen from a 7-footer in the past.
Not only can he bully opponents around the rim, but Embiid can take his game to the perimeter. He is a more-than-capable 3-point shooter, and his face-up game makes him lethal in the mid-range. On top of this, the 27-year-old has developed moves typically used by players almost a foot shorter than him.
Whether it's Euro-stepping in the lane or hitting step-back jumpers, Embiid's game knows no bounds.
Last season was Embiid's best to date. He posted career-best numbers across the board en route to leading the Sixers to the top spot in the Eastern Conference. If not for missed time due to injuries and protocols, many believe he would have walked away with the MVP.
Even after a season of that caliber, Embiid still went into the offseason looking to add to his game. He put his focus into one area of improvement, and it is already paying dividends.
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In the NBA, all good teams have a “closer,” someone they can give the ball to late in games who can deliver a much-needed bucket when it matters most. This is one reason why the Sixers sought out Jimmy Butler, but as we know the relationship was short-lived.
However, Embiid has now taken on the role of closer himself. On numerous occasions this year, he has stepped up to deliver an array of victory-sealing shots. Most notably against the Boston Celtics earlier this month, when Embiid hit a step-back jumper over a pair of outstretched Celtics defenders.
In terms of clutch scoring, Embiid leads the league by a wide margin. Recently, Doc Rivers opened up on his star player's growth as a go-to guy in the big moments.
“That was one thing we worked on and talked about all summer. Guys who have to hit big shots, and there's not a lot of them, maybe there's one a team, not even. They have to have an amazing amount of confidence because it's usually not the exact shot they get all game, but it's the exact shot they want at the end of the game,” said Rivers.
In true superstar fashion, Embiid has not shied away from the big moments. He wants to be the one with the ball in his hands when the game is on the line. His ability to not only hit shots but get to the free-throw line make him a tough cover in a game's final possessions.
Many feel a big man can't be the closer for a team, but Embiid has proved that statement wrong. This efficient late-game scoring has been a catalyst in Embiid pulling off one of the most dominant stretches we've seen from him to date.
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