Buy Dideo Subscription
Joel Embiid. 2x NBA All-Star. All-NBA Second Team. NBA All-Defensive Second Team. The Process in Philadelphia was mere millimeters away from the ball bouncing out of the basket and going to overtime against the Toronto Raptors and a Kawhi Leonard that had played over 43 minutes, taken 39 field goal attempts. As remarkable as Kawhi is, he had to have been tired, and there’s no telling what could have happened in a winner take all 5 minute overtime …but let’s rewind to his first season in the league. He had been drafted in 2014 out of Kansas as the third overall pick behind Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker (really think about that for a second and then amidst your head-shaking, remember that he was a huge injury risk back then). Due to a number of things, he essentially medically redshirted two full NBA seasons. He proved to be worth the wait in the 31 games he did play. Dropping 20.2 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.5 block per game. IN. ONLY. 25.4 minutes. His first season was a marvel. He moved like very few others the league had seen. He had some moves, but he was SUCH a load on the block that everything else is just a great bonus. He’s got range. He’s got touch. He’s got the ability to make plays with the pass, with the dribble, and he really was a difference maker on both ends. The big thing I got out of putting this video together and watching these clips are the way he lands and the way he shifts his weight. Obviously, in the seasons since, he’s doubled the amount of games he’s played, slimmed down some, and now knows when to put his body in certain situations, but early on, every time he went down, you were HOLDING YOUR BREATH. Watch this video, and then watch the one for the 17/18 season. The moves might be similar, but it’s smoother, he’s stronger, and that’s still a terrifying prospect for the rest of the league. 17/18 video: https://youtu.be/z6AKfpAM_SY If you'd like to donate: Venmo - @Evin_Gual Cash App - $EvinGual Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/evin_gual
