Just over a month into the season, it’s time for Philadelphia 76ers fans to adjust their expectations with Joel Embiid. It’s clear that while this is still one of the best big men in the league and a top scorer, he’s not quite the same player he was when he won the MVP award in 2023.
It was natural for fans to hope they would see the old version of Embiid step onto the court when he returned to the hardwood. But we now have seven exemplary games in front of us, and it’s clear that this is a slightly different player than the one we saw tear up in the playoffs in the spring of 2024.
The injuries have certainly taken their toll on Joel Embiid. And while that is frustrating and can be disheartening for the Sixers fanbase, we must also remember that debilitating injuries will always have a less devastating effect on the best players. This also applies to Embiid.
Embiid isn’t as mobile on defense as he once was
We’ve seen Joel look largely the same player on the offensive end. When he gets into his spot, he’s still nearly unstoppable. He’s going to hit you with a pump fake at the top of the key, then a pull-up jumper and just hit a net each time. There’s still an element of “you know exactly what’s coming and there’s nothing you can do to stop it” when it comes to his attacking play.
He may not be scoring in quite the same way as before, but Embiid’s process is still fluid on offense and he has recorded at least 20 points in five of his seven games this season. It’s the
defensive side of things where expectations in Philadelphia will have to change a bit.
Joel looked a lot less mobile on defense, struggled to make quicker moves and sometimes cost the 76ers in rebounding or rim protection situations. This is where his plus/minus has suffered and where teams have been able to take advantage of Philadelphia. It will take some getting used to understanding that Embiid isn’t as big of an asset in these areas as he used to be.
There is still time for things to develop and for Joel to become more comfortable defensively. But for now, the coaching staff needs to avoid leaning heavily on him on that side of the ball like they used to.
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