Getty Isaiah Jackson #22 of the Indiana Pacers (L) and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers (C) reach for a loose ball during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center on October 24, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Joel Embiid was on an absolute tear during the Philadelphia 76ers‘ recent victory over the Utah Jazz. It was a nightmare for all opposing players as the Sixers superstar was a man on a mission for the duration of the victory. He finished the game with 59 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and seven blocks making him the first player ever in NBA history to record this statline. The historic performance was vital to the Sixers’ win and has been praised by a number of NBA stars.
One player who was not particularly happy with Embiid’s performance was Jarred Vanderbilt. Like the rest of his Utah teammates, Vanderbilt had no success attempting to guard the Sixers superstar in the matchup. When asked about Embiid’s play following the game, Vanderbilt stated- “When anybody’s in a zone like that, it’s tough to stop. He had a lot of favorable calls, too, so he shot a lot of free throws and helped get him in a rhythm. So he’s seeing the ball go through the hoop a lot of times. At that point, it’s tough when somebody sees the ball go through that many times. They’re shooting it in an ocean at that point,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
The Joel Embiid Masterclass:
– 59 Points
– 11 Rebounds
– 8 Assists
– 7 Blocks
Embiid’s Free-Throw Frequency
The rate of free throws among NBA players has been a growing debate in recent years. Embiid has been at the forefront of this discussion due to his elite ability to get to the charity stripe. Last season, the Sixers big man led the league in free-throw attempts with 11.44 per game. James Harden also ended the season third in the NBA in free-throw attempts per game by getting to the line 7.94 times per game.
Embiid has picked up right where he left off this season and is averaging 11.80 free-throw attempts per game. This trails only Giannis Antetokounmpo (12.33 FTA) for the highest rate in the NBA. Just as Vanderbilt acknowledged, Embiid got to the free-throw line 24 times in the matchup against the Jazz. This is the most he has recorded on the season and connected on 20 of these attempts.
The combination of size, power, and basketball IQ makes it nearly impossible to stop Embiid. His ability to overpower most opponents paired with the skill to simply shoot over them has opponents constantly on their heels. The reigning MVP runner-up is guilty of seeking out contact at times, but no more than any other NBA star. Embiid himself has admitted as much and stands by his belief it is simply an efficient way to create points.
“People are always saying flops or foul baiting or all that stuff. That’s just me being smarter than everybody else… that’s the rules of the game, and we just take advantage of it.”
– Joel Embiid on “foul baiting”
(via @OldManAndThree)
Embiid’s Impact Outside of the Free-Throw Line
Only Embiid will know if this helped him get in a rhythm, but it is worth noting that 39 of his points were not at the free-throw line. Even without the “free points,” he was the most dominant player on both sides of the court. The superstar analyzed every defensive look Utah threw his way and was responsible for 74% of the Sixers’ 105 points through his scoring and assists.
He also especially made his presence felt on the defensive end. The seven blocks he tallied also tied a career-high in this category. There was plenty of criticism about Embiid’s effort to start the season, but this has not been the case of late. After a pedestrian start to the year, the Sixers have climbed to 5th in the NBA in defensive efficiency.
This defensive growth has been spearheaded by Embiid’s effort as he sets the tone for the team on this side of the floor. The two-way ability of the big man has been one of the biggest calling cards for what a unique talent he is. Hopefully, the Sixers will not require this type of heroic effort from Embiid to secure a win too often, but these performances should be given the proper appreciation when they do occur.