Joel Embiid Reveals Key Factor to Recent Defensive Dominance

Going into the 2022-2023 NBA season, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was dealing with plantar fasciitis. While the big man played in the first five games of the season, it was clear Embiid wasn’t the best version of himself.

Throughout the first stretch of the season, Embiid was on and off the floor. He missed his first game six games into the season. After returning for a matchup, Embiid went on to miss three-straight games.

Just as it seemed the big man was back and healthy for the long run, he had to take four more games off after dealing with a foot-related setback in mid-November. Since returning from that small stretch of absences, Embiid’s missed just five games.

Over the last 42 outings, the All-Star has averaged 35 minutes on the court. To no surprise, he’s back and track, looking like one of the NBA’s most dominant players as he’s back in the league’s MVP conversation.

Offensively, Embiid has averaged 42 points, ten rebounds, and four assists over the last 42 games. Defensively, the big man’s looked like a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate with his rim protection, blocking 2.5 percent of his opponent’s shots, which ranks in the 80th percentile for bigs, according to Cleaning the Glass.

After yet, another dominant showing against the Washington Wizards on Sunday, Embiid was asked about what’s led to his consistent defensive dominance as of late. The big man summed it up to one key factor: good health.

“I’m healthier, It helps a lot,” said Embiid. “We’re getting to that point in the season where you have to be on point when it comes to everything offensively and defensively. In the past, my defense, from the regular season to the playoffs, has always gone to another level, so it’s all about trying to build it. Like I always say, I’m just working on my game and seeing what works and what doesn’t, but we need that intensity defensively as a team.”

As the Sixers returned from the All-Star break, they’ve dealt with quite a tough string of opponents. Starting with a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sixers picked up a five-point win.

While they hit a two-game skid, collecting back-to-back losses against the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, which involved a point-differential of five points, the Sixers bounced back and won six of their last seven games, wrapping up last week as a perfect 4-0.

With Embiid garnering another Eastern Conference Player of the Week nod on Monday, Philadelphia is rolling. As the Sixers are preparing to get hot before the postseason, Embiid is doing all he can to lead by example as he remains in good shape health-wise.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.