Philadelphia 76ers: Who’s in contention for 2020 NBA awards?

Joel Embiid

IN CONTENTION FOR…

• All-NBA teams
• All-Defense teams

Joel Embiid’s 2019-20 struggles are well documented. Embiid just wasn’t himself this year. He wasn’t consistent enough for Defensive Player of the Year, despite a sterling reputation and a knack for highlight plays. Embiid wasn’t even the Sixers’ cachet defender this season. All the attention when to Simmons.

And yet, Embiid should still earn All-Defense honors. If not first team, second team. There are others who have earned consideration this season — Bam Adebayo and Brook Lopez, for example — but it still comes down to Rudy Gobert and Embiid at the center position. Embiid eats up space like few 7-footers can. He’s agile on the perimeter, hulking at the rim, and freakishly quick to recover. If he overplays a passing lane, he’s liable to follow it up with a chase-down block.

On the season, Embiid averaged a career-low 1.3 blocks per game. His numbers across the board dipped. But his ability to alter shots at the rim, combined with the fear he instills in players unlucky enough to drive the lane, is too formidable to ignore. He should — should — get the All-Defense nod.

As for All-NBA, Embiid is still a lock. His 23.4 points per game was a four-point downswing from last season, but he’s still uniquely capable of collapsing defenses and forcing his way to the charity stripe. No player can push an opposing defense into the bonus quicker than Embiid.

Despite the widely acknowledged inefficiency of post-up possessions, teams still send doubles every time Embiid catches it on the block. He uses every bit of his 250-pound frame to absorb contact, and yet he’s one of the most graceful post scorers in recent memory. He’s a domineering blend of Hakeem and Shaq. Not on their level — I repeat, not on their level — but stylistically, Embiid occupies a rarified space.

Embiid has a long way to go, but on his best nights, he’s already a top-10 NBA player. He made his second consecutive All-Star start this season, and he’s still the driving force of a postseason contender. He’s probably the second team center, first team honors belonging to Nikola Jokic.