Joel Embiid post-ups are not the answer
Giving Joel Embiid most post touches is not the answer to all the Philadelphia 76ers’ problems.
If this series has taught us anything, it’s that the Philadelphia 76ers‘ roster is flawed. They only have one reliable halfcourt shot creator in Joel Embiid, with Ben Simmons and Dario Saric both limited by different factors.
That has a lot more to do with the Celtics’ 3-0 series lead than anything Brett Brown has done. The Sixers’ offense thrives on player movement and shooting, so when the perimeter is locked up and shots aren’t falling, struggles will naturally ensue.
The national narrative has been that the Sixers are taking bad shots and thus letting the Celtics get out in transition and out-gun them. That’s partially true, especially in Games 1 and 2. The Sixers took a lot of early-shot clock threes that didn’t come within the flow of the offense.
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But for every time Stephen A. Smith blasts the Sixers’ poor shot selection, he (and many others) call for more Embiid post-ups. Whether it be ESPN or the TNT crew, far too many national taking heads are pointing toward Embiid post-ups as the Sixers’ best offensive option.
That simply isn’t true.
The Sixers have lived and died by the three all season. They’re at their best when Ben Simmons is pushing the pace and shooters are getting open on the perimeter, not when things slow down and Embiid is forced to work in the halfcourt.
Embiid is a special player and post-ups should certainly be part of the Sixers’ offensive diet. They just can’t rely on him as their sole source of playmaking and shot-making, which is why the Celtics’ defense has been so effective.
Zach Lowe pointed out a pretty striking stat this morning.
Joel Embiid post-ups vs Boston, via @SecondSpectrum: 0.533 points per play when Embiid shots, or teammate one pass away does; 0.66 points per possession on all trips featuring an Embiid post-up. A lot of 3-0 lies there.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 6, 2018
To put it simply, that’s not very efficient. The Sixers aren’t effective when Embiid is gobbling up possessions on the block. It’s even worse when off-ball motion stagnates and he’s not making plays for others, which was largely the case in Game 3.
The Celtics, for a variety of different reasons, where not a good matchup for the Sixers. Philly’s offensive execution, especially late in games, has been beyond terrible as well.
Just stop calling for Embiid post-ups as if they’re the ground-breaking solution to Boston’s defense. JoJo can beat Aron Baynes and Al Horford in isolation, but that’s not really the point. The Sixers’ offense is at its worst when the ball is stuck in Embiid’s hands time after time.
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It’s about balance and pace, something the Sixers simply haven’t found against Boston.