Getty Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on October 26, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
It has not been a smooth start to the season for the Philadelphia 76ers. This has been especially the case for Joel Embiid who missed four of the Sixers’ first 10 games including the previous three matchups with illness. In the games that the big man has played, he has failed to look like himself and shown some lackluster effort and body language.
Embiid flashed the player he is capable of being during the most recent Sixers’ 100-88 victory over the Suns. It was an improved effort on both sides of the ball and the superstar expressed that this should be expected moving forward. As he put it to the media following the matchup, “Our season started tonight.”
Joel Embiid: “Our season started tonight. The Phillies are done, I enjoyed watching them so our season started tonight. The other games don’t count.”
Embiid’s Performance
During the victory, Embiid ended with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. He also was much more impactful on the defensive end which set the tone for the entire team. The 7-footer added a block to his statline but made an impact in altering or preventing many more attempts.
Joel Embiid locking up 6’5″ Devin Booker …
Embiid also made it a clear effort to get to the free-throw line more. The Sixers star led the NBA in free-throw attempts per game last season with 11.4 per game. This number has sunk to just 8.7 attempts at the charity stripe coming into this game. While many are critical of Embiid for baiting fouls, his ability to get to the line is also an indication of his physicality down low. The big man put this on display in this matchup by posting up with Deandre Ayton. Embiid went 16-16 from the free-throw line in this matchup.
Embiid’s Backup Minutes
While there was no minutes limit set for him going into the game, Doc Rivers admitted he instructed Embiid to signal when he needed a substitution following the game. The superstar rotated in roughly six-minute increments during the matchup. It was notable that Rivers turned to Paul Reed as Embiid’s backup option which has been a storyline worth monitoring to start the season.
Watch Paul Reed sniff out this DHO, explode to the ball handler leading to a fast break bucket
In his 11 minutes of play, Reed ended with two points, four rebounds (two offensive), and a steal. He also tallied four fouls in the matchup. As has been known to be the case with Reed, it was not the numbers that stood out but the effort and energy he brought.
Following the victory, Rivers was asked his thoughts on the play of the 23-year-old. The head coach expressed his pleasure with the fan-favorite and stated, “I thought he was spectacular,” per Paul Hudrick of Liberty Ballers. Montrezl Harrell did not see the court in the victory.
Here is Doc Rivers talking about Joel Embiid and Georges Niang, the 2 heroes of tonight’s win … #Sixers #Suns #HereTheyCome
As Embiid alluded to in his press conference, this game must mark the starting point of the season’s turnaround. He may have joked about enjoying watching the Phillies’ postseason run, but the recent string of days off did the superstar a great deal of good. Embiid looked more active on both sides of the ball in a way that is necessary to the team’s success.
There has been plenty of criticism surrounding the coaching and supporting cast, but the bottom line is the Sixers will not reach their peak without Embiid leading the charge. He did an excellent job setting the tone against the Suns, and the Sixers will look for this type of effort moving forward.