Joel Embiid has trusted the process all the way to a top-10 ranking on SI.com’s Top 100. How much more can the Philadelphia 76ers’ star improve?
“I swear to God, my life is a movie.”
That was Joel Embiid, in a Players’ Tribune article, trying to explain his swift rise to stardom. He went from an unknown teenager in Cameroon, to a freshman standout at Kansas, to one of the best players in the NBA — with some career-threatening injuries sprinkled in between, for good measure.
Once compared to Greg Oden, Embiid now garners comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon. His spot on SI.com’s Top 100 acknowledges that meteoric rise, with The Process coming in at 9. Anthony Davis was the only big man ranked higher.
Embiid is a unique talent in that he’s still new to the game, something SI’s Rob Mahoney was quick to point out.
"It’s rare to see a player already in the running for Defensive Player of the Year developing at such a rapid rate. Embiid (22.9 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.2 APG) is a sponge. The nuances of professional play are still so new to him, yet instinct guides Embiid to positions of particular impact. He has a natural aptitude for rotation, which involves reading the floor and timing out plays as they progress. Opponents are terrified of him, which buys Embiid time; players take such a wide berth around him and use so many pump fakes that Embiid has a longer window than most to get where he needs to go. Even at this stage, he all but guarantees an elite defense. Imagine how good Embiid could be when he actually knows what he’s doing."
There are intricacies to post play and defense that Embiid hasn’t learned yet, as evidenced by his turnover woes and occasional foul trouble last season.
And yet, Embiid was also the crux of Brett Brown’s offense, emerging as one of the highest-usage players in the NBA. He was also the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, an award he might have won if it weren’t for a late-season injury.
Physical tools and instincts will never been questioned with Embiid. He has the ability to single-handedly make the Sixers an elite defensive team, using his shot-blocking presence and timely rotations to swallow drivers and alter opposing game plans.
On the offensive end, Embiid can use his brute strength and buttery footwork to dominate the paint with regularity. Add in the occasional three-point shot and the ability to score off the dribble, and few 7-footers can rival Embiid’s impact on that end.
Assuming Embiid’s first healthy offseason leads to improvement in key areas, his spot on this list should only get higher. There will always be some lingering injury concerns, but his talent level and two-way impact is undeniable.
The Boston Celtics will be Eastern Conference favorites next season, but Embiid is the reason you can’t count the Sixers out entirely. Having the best player on the floor means something, and Embiid is still elevating his status among the league’s elite.
If he can improve his efficiency, limit turnovers and expand his playmaking capacity, expect the Sixers to be highly competitive in the East next season. The Celtics will be getting two stars back in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, but another step froward from Embiid and Ben Simmons could level the playing field.