Sixers' Joel Embiid Rekindled his Love for Passing This Season
Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid wants to win badly. He's made that clear over the years as the big man has gotten frustrated with how his team's seasons have ended in three-straight playoff appearances. Especially last season.
Embiid didn't want a series sweep on his resume, but he got it last year. Granted, losing four-straight playoff games in the first round was far from Embiid's fault; the Sixers star still felt like he failed himself, his teammates, and his playing city.
Philly's new front office regime built this year's Sixers team with Embiid in mind. As the big man was overly frustrated with a lack of space on the court last season, which resulted from having unreliable shooters on the floor, Daryl Morey and Elton Brand made several moves to acquire reliable veteran threats in the shooting department.
While it's still early on in the season, Embiid feels much more comfortable so far this year. Not only is he finding it easier to pack on points -- but he's also less hesitant to pass the ball as he trusts the personnel around him.
"I’ve just rekindled the love of passing," Embiid said on Monday as the Sixers picked up their fourth-straight win over the Hornets. "In the last few, at times, [teams would] double, [I would pass] and you miss a lot of shots, and it gets frustrating. Then you start thinking that you got to do everything by yourself because everybody’s not making shots."
With a lack of shooters on the floor last season, teams wouldn't hesitate to double-team Joel Embiid -- particularly in critical situations. Although he showed improvement passing out of double-teams last year, there was no guarantee the recipient of Embiid's passes would collect points on the play.
But with Danny Green, Seth Curry, and a much more confident and consistent Tobias Harris on the floor, Embiid no longer feels hesitant to give the ball up to somebody else so they can make a play.
“I just think that I’ve been letting the game come to me,” Embiid explained. “There hasn’t been a big change when it comes to spacing, compared to the last couple of years. It’s just the shooters, and I just gotta be a willing passer and games like the last two games or the whole season, every game that I play, they keep doubling, triple-teaming me, trying to take me out of the game. I just gotta keep making the right passes."
Although Embiid is passing a lot more these days, the three-time All-Star is still getting his points. As he's played in six out of seven games, Embiid has averaged a team-high of 23.2 points-per-game. As the Sixers continue to win as a team, Embiid is hardly concerned about his individual statistics. With the goal of winning on his mind, the 76ers' big man is more than happy to give up personal points on the floor as long as his teammates make his passes pay off.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
