Nick Nurse Examines Joel Embiid’s Passing Progress After Win vs. Nets

Nick Nurse is encouraged by what he's sees from Joel Embiid from a passing standpoint.

Heading into the 2023-2024 NBA season, the reigning MVP Joel Embiid made it his goal to improve in the playmaking department. Being the NBA’s two-time scoring champion and a consistent threat in the paint on the defensive end, Embiid looked to add another element to his game.

So far, the Philadelphia 76ers center is thriving with finding the open man.

“[We] continue to see different ways that teams are defending him,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse explained on Sunday after the win over the Brooklyn Nets. “I’ve said a bunch, he wants to deliver to the open guy.”

Lately, Embiid’s passing has been a major boost to the thriving Sixers. At the start of the week, Embiid dished out six assists in the loss against the Indiana Pacers. The following night, he produced seven more against the Boston Celtics. To close out the week, Embiid teased triple-doubles in the two bounce-back wins over the Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets.

On Friday in Atlanta, Embiid dialed up eight assists, tying his season high. Then in Brooklyn, he exceeded that by dishing out nine assists in 31 minutes of action. Embiid has received a lot of help from his teammates, who have been getting to their spots and hitting shots, but the big man’s improved vision hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

“The open guy’s got to make the right reads and the cuts and all that kind of stuff and free up either something heading towards the rim or pull behind 3-point shots,” Nurse continued. “That’s kind of offense in this league. When they send two to your primary scorer, you gotta get things figured out, and we’re making some progress there.”

Embiid’s still a scoring machine this season, averaging a league-high 32 points per game through 13 matchups. However, his assist numbers have taken a notable jump. Over the previous two seasons, Embiid averaged 4.2 assists per game. This year, that number’s up to 6.2, with his turnovers around his career average. 

There's a lot of season left, but if Embiid can sustain this level of passing, it will continue to unlock Philadelphia's offense, giving them a much-improved look in the Embiid era.