For the first time in his career, Joel Embiid isn’t the focal point of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ offense — a shift that has freed him to focus on the other end of the floor.
In Tuesday’s season opener against the New York Knicks, Embiid posted 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals — looking every bit like a defensive anchor purely focused on doing his job. After the game, Embiid revealed he deliberately prioritized rim protection over hunting for his own shots — a commitment he even declared to his teammates in the locker room, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“(Joel) Embiid had a declaration to make in the locker room after this one. He said, ‘I’m going to get back to being an All-Defensive team player,'” McMenaim told “SportsCenter” after the Sixers completed a 106-100 win over the Knicks.
Although the 2023 MVP earned three All-Defensive selections earlier in his career, injuries and conditioning issues have compromised his defensive dominance in recent years — making him a target in pick-and-roll action, as seen with Jalen Brunson in last season’s playoffs. However, that was hardly the case on Tuesday. Embiid looked nimble and fast off his feet, repeatedly beating opponents to the rim in a statement win.
Joel Embiid Focused on Defense
Embiid has embraced his new role alongside Tyrese Maxey, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown — a trio fully capable of carrying the offensive load. In fact, after Embiid picked up his third foul early in the second half, it was reportedly his own idea to shift James onto Karl-Anthony Towns defensively.
“And quite frankly, it was a moment of honesty from him where he said, ‘I can’t play as aggressive as I need to play against a player as talented as KAT if I’m playing with those 3 fouls,'” McMenamin said of Embiid’s suggestion to the coaching staff.
“He knows that somewhere in the back of his head, he would try to avoid picking up a 4th or a 5th or fouling out.
“And obviously, LeBron James was able to play that backup five and make some plays on the defensive end, leading in that fourth quarter to a breakaway dunk by Tyrese Maxey that started with LeBron James playing defense on KAT.”
Sixers Best Knicks in Opener
Embiid also relayed his mission to make an All-Defensive Team to co-star Tyrese Maxey, who led the 76ers with 28 points and five assists.
“If I want to be All-Defense like I used to be, that changes everything for our team,” Embiid told Maxey, via ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
“So if I can play that way every single night, which I will, changes everything.”
Embiid also told Maxey that “tonight felt different” from their previous matchups against the Knicks, simply because he was able to focus on defense.
The Philadelphia 76ers (1-0) will next host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
Joel Embiid Makes ‘Declaration’ to Teammates After Sixers-Knicks Game