This season, the Philadelphia 76ers have asked more of Joel Embiid than ever before. Even after a year where he finished second in MVP voting, the All-Star center has managed to take his game to new heights while playing without Ben Simmons.
Since his return from health and safety protocols, Embiid has been nothing short of dominant. He has posted an array of monster stat lines en route to getting the Sixers' season back on track. While many will focus on his massive scoring numbers, there's another area Embiid has taken a big step forward in.
As we know, the Ben Simmons saga continues to rage on and leave a cloud over the Sixers. Since requesting a trade back in the summer, the three-time All-Star has yet to suit up in a game this season. There have certainly been negatives regarding this situation, but some good has come from it.
Since Simmons stepped foot in the NBA, he was the maestro of the Sixers' offense. Given his elite-level IQ and passing ability, rarely did someone other than him set the table or bring the ball up the floor. However, his absence has empowered others to take on more responsibility as ball handlers.
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One player who has taken full advantage of this opportunity is Embiid. In the past, it was rare to see him bring the ball up and start the offense. Now, Embiid is regularly securing a rebound and pushing the break himself.
Doc Rivers has run the Sixers' offense solely through Embiid, and the results speak for themselves. He's one of the league's top scorers at 28.7 points per game and is dishing a career-high 4.3 assists per game.
Following the Sixers' win over the San Antonio Spurs Sunday night, Embiid opened up on doing more in the absence of his All-Star teammate.
“It's always been there, but this year, there's more freedom to be able to, whether it's bringing the ball up and pushing up in transition. I got more freedom to do that this year. In the previous year, we had someone that was so good in transition that you had to get the ball to him so he can make plays, and he was so good at it. His absence obviously puts a hole in that category. That's why I decided to kind of take my game to another level when it comes to that,” Embiid said, per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.
Passing was always one of the weaker points in Embiid's offensive arsenal, but that certainly is not the case now. He has made drastic improvements in that area and made him even harder to guard. This newfound ability to quickly read the floor and adjust accordingly leaves opposing defenses with few options to try and slow him down.
Despite being a 7-foot, 280-pound center, Embiid has turned himself into an all-around basketball player. At this stage in his development, there's honestly nothing he can't do on the floor.
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