Philadelphia 76ers mailbag: Embiid’s defense, Brett Brown’s strategy & more

As the Philadelphia 76ers‘ offseason dies down, Mike O’Connor dives into some topics from Twitter — starting with Joel Embiid‘s defensive versatility.

What’s the goal of the pick and roll? For a play that makes up 25 percent of all NBA plays — not in the half court; all plays — we talk about its objective and the root of its effectiveness very little.

A favorite youth coach of mine put it like this: “If you don’t get mismatches or a numbers advantage of some kind, you did it wrong.” Nail, head, etc.

But consider this: in a scenario where Joel Embiid is defending, neither of those are a disadvantage.

Let’s go step by step. The Philadelphia 76ers almost always employ “contain” defense versus the pick and roll, where the guard goes over the screen and chases the ball handler as Embiid plays center field and treads water. Thus, signing up for a two-on-one. The numbers disadvantage scenario.

And that’s where things get interesting. Embiid’s ludicrous combination of quickness and length allow him to gobble up pick and rolls in mind-blowing fashion. He can stunt to dissuade the ball handler and still somehow recover to thwart the rolling big.  

It’s not a matter of supernatural recognition, either. It’s a direct byproduct of his freakish athletic ability and frame. It affords him the luxury of being able to wait patiently for the offense to make their decision before pouncing. For most bigs, this would mean waiting far too long.

If you think that the terrifying thought of Embiid doesn’t have a massive psychological effect on opposing guards, think again. Kemba Walker turns the corner, sees Embiid and his life flashes before his eyes. Embiid can stop pick and rolls as quick as they start.

When guards muster the courage to challenge Embiid, the results aren’t much better. Guards must choose between taking Embiid to the rim, where he held opponents to a league lowest 44 percent, and shooting over a man with a 9-foot-6 standing reach on the perimeter.

With most bigs, you hope they can tread water against a guard long enough to force a pass. With Embiid, you pray that he lures a guard to take him off the dribble. Everyone in the building fell for this Kemba Walker hesitation, and Embiid still recovered for the swat.

Embiid can dismantle two-on-one situations and neutralize even the quickest of guards. Thus, effectively nullifying the primary advantages to running the pick and roll.

The most mind boggling part of Embiid’s defense is that it is almost entirely a result of his physical frame, and very little about his mental acumen. He relies heavily on his physical tools to clean up his or his teammates’ mess, and it almost always works out. Embiid’s defensive range is unparalleled. He’s a superhero help defender, launching into action at the first sign of danger.

These are the types of plays where Embiid’s impact is most tangible.  Defensive impact is notoriously difficult to quantify, but these plays can sometimes trace to a four or five point swing that won a game.

The back line of defense that Embiid provides is incalculably valuable and extremely unique. No player in the NBA possesses the combination of quickness, length, and range that Embiid does. He’s the game’s most imposing defender at the game’s most important defensive position. Two or three of his weak side cleanups per game makes a material impact on the win column. The dismantling of countless pick and rolls is even more significant.

Is Embiid the best defender in the NBA? Don’t get mad at me, I didn’t say it.