Sixers: 3 takeaways from dominant Game 1 win over Raptors

Sixers-Raptors game one takeaways: Joel Embiid is taking what the defense gives him

Joel Embiid struggled in postseasons past because he was too single-minded. He was determined to score, and when the defense tried to take that away from him, he forced difficult shots and committed costly turnovers, rather than trusting his teammates to play off of him.

For several reasons — both due to Embiid’s own progression, and the improved offensive capacity of the teammates around him — Embiid has been much more comfortable passing out of double teams and letting the offense revolve around him, rather than run strictly through him.

Embiid scored 19 points on 5-of-15 shooting in game one. On the surface, that’s a subpar performance from a leading MVP candidate and the reigning NBA scoring champ. Anyone who watched the game, however, would tell you differently. Embiid dominated in small ways, even if the Raptors did a good job keeping him from getting clean looks at the basket.

While the Raptors swarmed Embiid, he consistently made quick passing reads. That allowed his teammates (Maxey and Harris especially) to beat the rotating defense and take advantage of open 3s or lanes to the rim. He also dominated on the glass — 15 rebounds, four offensive rebounds — which was a key coming into the series. Toronto bludgeoned Philly on the glass in their regular season matchups, and Embiid played a major role in keeping them off the glass in this game. Embiid’s effort also translated to the defensive end, where he directed traffic and imposed himself on the interior. The Raptors play five-out quite often, but it didn’t fluster Embiid. He played up on screens, moved his feet on switches, and never looked too tired to compete.

Embiid has made the next step in his evolution, from superstar scorer to superstar offensive player. He’s better equipped than ever to punish a defense for trying to punish him. If the Sixers’ secondary stars continue to step up, then this could be a dominant stretch for Philadelphia.