Why hasn't Embiid dominated in the playoffs?

Joel Embiid has yet to have a signature playoff series heading into the 2024 NBA playoffs. This detailed film breakdown & scouting report explores why his scoring has gone down, his turnovers have gone up and why that trend might not continue going forward.
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Music by Cody Martin (Confronting the Void), Lost (AlterEgo) and Hairlight (Detour in Velour)
#ThinkingBasketball

[@riccardoferrazzo8283]

Oh, Doc Rivers. Getting the minimum possible out of his stars since the early 2000s.

[@gnm4]

Doc is so trash. I advise Bucks fans to have minimal playoff aspirations

[@6reps]

Doc Rivers is a basketball terrorist

[@Ataraxia_Atom]

​@@gnm4sad but true

[@Nbaspam0000]

Yes let’s blame doc for all of embiids shortcomings/ poor health in playoffs 👍👍👍👍

[@roymarthkirby428]

@@Nbaspam0000 That's obviously not what anyone in this thread said loser

[@Lightexo]

Makes you appreciate how insane Joker is with reads from the double.

[@futurehofer1564]

The system matters a lot in this situation, Embiid was playing in a system where he would get DEEP post position and his teammates wouldnt move that much. Jokic always had a coach that played him at the free throw line a lot of times (s/o Chris Finch) and that allows him to find passes easier. Now with Nurse, Embiid is playing more at the free throw line and his teammates are moving more, kinda like Denver which is why Embiid just averaged a career high in assists. Not saying he is as good of a passer as Jokic, but Embiid has become a really good passer.

[@berryesseen]

@@futurehofer1564 Yeah exactly, he doesn't attempt more complicated passes that Jokic throws but still he's improved a lot. We'll see whether this translates to playoff success. We can't really compare a playoff game to a regular season game.

[@DonKey496]

​@@futurehofer1564Embiid just copying Jokic

[@alexisrobbins1736]

@@DonKey496 Jokic should copy Embiid.

[@fringe_minority]

This video makes me appreciate Nick Nurse also

[@peacemaker4829]

Its crazy to think this dude only played basketball for a few years before he joined the league. His improvement is very underrated

[@donaldf9055]

Exactly 💯. People are to blinded with hate for embiid that they fail to appreciate his greatness, skill, and his dedication.

[@ThinkingBasketball]

His development is a bit mind-blowing.

[@peacemaker4829]

@@donaldf9055 He just made it even more apparent in this video. Embiid has continued to improve on his game, and now he's an almost unstoppable force. The only thing truly holding him back is health. Too bad Ben Simmons doesn't have his same mindset towards improvement...

[@peacemaker4829]

@@ThinkingBasketball It's very similar to Tim Duncan, but you could argue Embiid improved even more than Duncan did. Embiid has truly become a complete player on all levels

[@donaldf9055]

@@peacemaker4829 tbf Ben Simmons had been injured so he could barely play and he also can't shoot like embiid and also got given up on by his coach and his teammate. Not saying he mentally doesn't have a part in this but ye.

[@skulldan4]

Slight correction - The 2018 loss was actually a 5-game series.

[@ThinkingBasketball]

Thank you!

[@Superhero18]

You probably got mixed up with the humiliation that was the 2019-2020 season and I would even argue that season was the beginning of the end of Ben Simmons in Philadelphia because they made the misguided Horford signing on the idea that Ben would shoot the ball. Spoiler alert: He in fact didn’t shoot the ball lol

[@bartier861]

​Nah they wanted horford away from the celtics really@@Superhero18

[@ckq]

Yeah I remembered the Marcus Morris 3-0 taunt and remember the Sixers won the next game for a gentleman's sweep. they got swept by the celtics in 2020 though.

[@Isaiahike23]

​@@Superhero18 They prolly win a game or 2 that series if bum Ben don't get hurt.

[@tomkmb4120]

How much credit goes to Nick Nurse here? Great work by Embiid but feels like he's getting well coached and given the right information in this system.

[@davidfebreeze428]

First really top level coach he’s had at the nba level in my opinion that’s a big factor that somehow rarely gets mentioned

[@philipwacker4629]

Nick Nurse is so heavily underrated. Good coaches / functional systems in general seem to get overlooked when talking star players.

[@athuljp]

You give Nick Nurse a player of Embiid's calibre, he's going to help him achieve his true potential.

[@peacemaker4829]

I would love to see Nurse coach the Mavs

[@jacobdonikowski2452]

@@peacemaker4829i feel like he’d have kyrie lighting SHIT UP

[@Joshua-qc1li]

embiids struggles were maibly due to the lack of ball movement in the offense doc rivers ran. which caused the sixers to be unable to punish double teams

[@StraightBleach]

Also the 1st 4 years he had Ben simmons. A PG who literally refused to Shoot and therefore embiid had to literally change his entire game to fit around him.

[@mindyourbuisness8104]

No star players struggles are do to coaching in the nba. Coaching can elevate a team but the nba comes down to stats showing up

[@denimjeg]

@@mindyourbuisness8104very ignorant thing to say

[@TrueGuardify]

@@denimjeg Lol, so what, you think Shaq or Kobe or Lebron or MJ would drop to like 20ppg if they had present-day Doc Rivers coaching them? Doc is a contributing factor for why they didn't win a championship or make it out the 2nd round, to say that Embiid's failure is because of Doc Rivers and not simply because he's sucked ass in the playoffs when soft fouls get called a lot less and defenses blitz him is actually ignorant.

[@denimjeg]

@@TrueGuardify the fact u had to name top 5 players ever should tell u it’s a dumb point

[@nickfowler547]

Completely unrelated but man Marc Gasol in ‘19 might be one of the best midseason acquisitions of all time. That dude was a problem

[@thecomebackkid7892]

That team in general was insane defensively. Everyone wants to point to Mark and he did a great job but they had plus defenders everywhere in the starting lineup. They then could pull FVV, OG, and Serge off the bench, one of the best defenses of all time fr

[@nickfowler547]

@@thecomebackkid7892 absolutely. Great coaching by Nurse as well. And that’s not even mentioning Kawhi, Danny Green, Siakam, or Kyle Lowry. I was just specifically speaking to adding a piece that like midseason who provided that sort of insane impact down the stretch

[@mxtthewcx8]

I feel like a lot of people are surprised that Joel is better in the offence and better as a player under Nick Nurse. Like y'all don't realize he finally has a good coach? Of course he's going to be better, cause only Nick Nurse has actually had the capabilities of utilizing Joel fully this season, plus the 76ers have kinda stayed afloat even after Joel's injury. But yes, in the playoffs, Joel has been injured A LOT, had bad coaches, and was not as improved as a player as he is now, but still made a lot of bad plays

[@jlui21]

-- Agree. Embiid has sustained a ton of injuries in the playoffs. 2) Glenn Rivers is never a playoff coach you want. A coach should be able to maximize Embiid via the team, but Glenn would be like "Iso, Embiid. ISO!"

[@pranavarora9976]

Cause relying on getting 10+ FTA every game is not a dependable playoff strategy?

[@tlxxlt4745]

Kobe in his best scoring years averaged 10 FTs per game (2004-2008). Stop it, you’re clearly biased. All great scorers have attempted a ton of FTs per game. Jordan in 2 seasons averaged 10 and 11 per game as well (1986-1988). It’s simply a natural thing to happen as they attempt a lot of shots = a lot of FTs. Not to mention Kobe created the rip through.

[@jackpeyton1894]

every mvp candidate besides jokic shoots 8+ fta per game lol

[@antoniotrivelloni8191]

@@tlxxlt4745 Over the past five years, Embiid has averaged more FTA/game than prime Shaq. There's attempting a lot of FTs, and then there's THAT nonsense

[@xavierb9061]

@@antoniotrivelloni8191 why wouldnt, he shoots 3s as well. Shaq can jus double under rim

[@Kwijiboz]

Embiid has more haters than points in his career

[@Ramparkenny]

He was making good passes to pj tucker which was no use, good thing they don't have him anymore

[@andrewmiller4116]

Ah yes bc he’s had pj tucker to screw him over his entire playoff career. Also PJ shot 44% from 3 in last years series against the Celtics🤷‍♂️ excuses

[@jojoprocess2820]

​@@andrewmiller4116He wasnt a good passer his whole career. And tucker attempted 25 thres all series despite being left wide open every possession. That tells you everything you need to know

[@idontlikeuidiot2060]

@@jojoprocess2820he obviously didn’t watch the series and just watches stats

[@MikeTheNBAGuy]

Starting Tucker mightve been Doc's worst crime as a coach, which is saying a ton

[@Nihilitty]

@@jojoprocess2820 don't bother they don't actually watch games. Only look at box scores

[@rimimimimimimimim4170]

great video, genuinley a joke that they said "Jokic shouldn't win the MVP because he hasn't done anything in the playoffs" only to give it to Embiid who has less playoff success and SIGNIFICANTLY worse playoff numbers, with the best team he ever beat probably being the Raptors with Pascaal Siakam and Fred Vanvleet 💀💀

[@thomaslequesne5475]

Crazy how you made a detailed video about all the potential factors and what to expect this year and half the comment are just "But FrEe ThRoWs" nonsense. Not everyone has the public they deserve...

[@donaldf9055]

Cause they don't watch the videos and just come straight up with d in their mouths. It's disgusting. Ngl, along with bron (bron has full communities and channels that make a living hating on him) I think that he's the most hated superstar rn.

[@oreoakalaperoji8314]

They're just impressionable kids. It takes effort to think for yourself

[@animedarius69]

Greatest Rivalries in nba history: 1. Magic and Bird 2. Embiid and the 2nd Round

[@mavsfanforever7919]

3. TMac and the 1st round 4. McClung vs NBA dunkers

[@bigoofinthechat5496]

McClung vs making an NBA roster 😂

[@akirakurusu4215]

Is it really a rivalry if Embiid has never won?

[@Sebastian-gf2fk]

If you watch the first graph you're gonna notice that all struggle in playoffs. Or almost all. Big volume becomes a burden in series matchups. Rivals just learn habits and moves and destroy any team with low flexibility or creativity.

[@user-nv1gm2zj7y]

yup. only a handful can do it "alone"

[@MrDiMES123]

It’s usually the 2nd option or someone unexpected who has to score and be the man in championship runs.

[@Sebastian-gf2fk]

@@MrDiMES123 Usually is a team effort. Maybe an X factor here and there. But you need a solid team with various actors.

[@fusionWTTC]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video. I feel like nobody gives this conversation its proper nuance and so I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate this video. 🙏

[@jaredsmith4937]

Crazy to see how much of a difference players like Maxey/Hield make vs the clip of Thybulle/Simmons both cutting into the lane in the middle of a double team

[@TheRulersBack18]

the annoying thing is these ppl are gonna make me root against the sixers in the playoffs bc they're acting like doc rivers is why it's hard to win with ben simmons taking no shots and matisse not being an offensive threat (love matisse, just really wish he could reliably hit a 3 :( ). now if they win this year bc they have better shooting around him, ppl are gonna say it's bc of nurse lol

[@jaredsmith4937]

@@TheRulersBack18 I think Nurse’s system has benefited the team as a whole, the face ups highlighted here have made Embiid a totally different monster when healthy this season. But the roster construction is just significantly better overall. Goes hand in hand in my opinion

[@TheRulersBack18]

@@jaredsmith4937 i don't necessarily disagree, just pointing out that if they win, ppl will immediately look at nurse rather than roster construction

[@tlxxlt4745]

Love the videos Ben ❤ your unbiased view of the game is AMAZING!

[@BootlegBoomerangs]

Best basketball breakdown channel out there!!! Absolutely love these vids and I can’t wait for these play in games!!!

[@rajdeepnag3948]

It's crazy how they were talking about this exact thing during Bill Simmon's pod today

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

Hmm... wait a minute!

[@michaelhays]

It's wild how you so consistently cover the most interesting questions in basketball

[@ramolong]

Ben! I love your content! I've been here since the bubble, and it's been a truly incredible experience witnessing your growth as a creator. I pray you continue to make great strides in your work and become the LeBron of basketball analysts. I must say, though, this video will not be enough to take down my Heat this Wednesday! Please take care.

[@ThinkingBasketball]

I really appreciate that! I'm ready (and excited for?) another Zombie Heat run.

[@Koerq]

Ben is on FIRE this pre playoff season. Thansk for all the amazing content.

[@nakamstejoguizo]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 bro why?

[@RafiKrum]

I've been so curious about this for ages. Thank you so much Thinking Basketball!

[@Evenmixer]

He mostly faces Al Horford during playoffs and 1 time Marc Gasol that was DPOY, that's why he struggled They both are elite defender Against Washington it's easy money for Embiid with undersized C Gafford and bench player Robin Lopez Against Hawks, they never been title contender, Capela is overrated, just good at rebounds and finishing with lobs

[@thecomebackkid7892]

@@Evenmixer clown

[@thogro99]

Glad the narrative is becoming more nuanced. Playoff dropping is not always on him, not that he doesn't deserve any criticism...

[@sirfish9824]

I mean he hasn’t been able to perform to his fullest in the playoffs since 2019. He’s hurt every single year for the playoffs.

[@roboninja3194]

@@sirfish9824 When a player is hurt 5 years in a row it's obvious this is on the player. He's either not taking care of his body or he's not playing smart. Some of you will make every excuse possible for a player because you're a fan of that player. But for other players having the same experience you'll say he's trash he's always injured.

[@jasongts]

WE’RE MAKING IT OUT THE SECOND ROUND WITH THIS ONE 🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥‼️‼️

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

Uhh... we'll see...

[@templr44_]

@@injusticeanywherethreatens4810 East is weak asf right now so hopefully they can FINALLY advance.

[@kylemathis1562]

If embiid was 100% healthy you'd make ecf

[@Jonathan-A.C.]

I could see it if they all perform well, and Embiid is healthy. A lot of teams aren’t that good/don’t have Playoff experience. Bucks, Celtics, Heat, are the only ones who are serious Contenders for making it out of the East, and I could see the 76ers at least in the 3rd round

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

@@templr44_ lol say that to the Heat,Celtics, and Knicks...

[@jesustenes2]

We've been robbed of a healthy embiid in the playoffs, I really want to see him compete. This year's version even if it's only at a 80% health-wise is still better than his past versions.

[@Seandiaz177]

Great video! This really gave some context of Embids playoffs failures and makes you realize how great of a coach Nick Nurse is. He did a great job enabling embid’s true potential and you can see how much his playmaking improved compared to previous seasons. Can’t wait to see how he performs in the playoffs!

[@anonymousporcupine23]

It's probably underrated how much he's grown each season. If his body holds up, I think he figures it out for a dominant playoff run in the next 2 years. Won't be a Jokic-level passer but he has other advantages, was #1 in EPM by a mile for a reason.

[@yoitsSmitty2004]

I just really feel like he needs to make some better adjustments come playoff time, Nick Nurse can help him out with that but the main problem is that I think a lot of people could say the same thing I’m about to say is his injuries, 2019 was his healthiest postseason but the rest was just unlucky injuries. I guess the Philly curse really do live in that franchise like crazy

[@victordoesyoutube]

Thank you for dropping bangers while I'm working I would not survive without you

[@pipohemm8726]

If he doesnt get it done with a coach like Nurse, i will give up on him. Brown and Doc really have no clue how to adjust in the playoffs. Lets see what they do woth Nurse. They can beat the Knicks and also the Bucks if Giannis isnt 100%.

[@user-bp1pu]

At the very least, nurse will use him as as a decoy if he cant score 30ppg cause of his injury. And we have players like maxey, oubre, batum and hield who can take advantage of embiids gravity. And hes an elite defender no matter what in the playoffs.

[@MrDiMES123]

He has no help outside maxey who is not true star

[@t4d0W]

Worst part is Nurse is getting Embiid at the 'latter' part of his prime which the injuries could be an even bigger dice roll. He was good for around 65 or some odd games in the last three years. All three which gave him high MVP considerations (at least before the new eligibility rule kicked in). His best side kick in this current roster is Maxey and even that isn't enough I feel to push deep for the playoffs.

[@noahdwhitney]

Yikes. Sorry bud

[@HoopEnthusiasts]

I think it’s some coaching paired with him being made of glass and his body not handling grueling regular season and playoffs. Also he can’t consistently punish help when isolating so his turnovers sky rocket. O e thing I have noticed is that his defense is top tier in the playoffs especially at the rim.

[@t4d0W]

Eh. Part of that marginalized when you have wing scorers who can match up hunt and bring Embiid to the perimeter especially in the playoffs. Which is why having teammates who can help in the back line are just as useful. Jokic spent a lot of time drawn to the perimeter through screen games. But he's so smart at figuring out those screen games especially if a smaller player matched up against him. Plus he has great help behind to protect the rim or pre-switch at times to keep Jokic at the basket. Can't really say the same for the Sixers roster for Embiid.

[@JakeKoenig]

He looked like crap again in the play-in game that they got super lucky to win. You can always count on the former "MVP" to be the opposite of clutch when the games matter most. 6-17 shooting, nice work Joel. 👍🏻

[@smittysznn]

Amazing video man

[@TheFraziak]

Excellent video!

[@thatguyjoe3649]

If im not mistaken, embiid has literally never been through a postseason ever. He always has an injury/health excuse. So if the knee is good enough, he will hopefully play better this postseason.

[@DjbossNA]

His only healthy playoff year was 2020 where his #2 and #4 options were both out for the whole series. It was basically him and g leaguers

[@noahdwhitney]

How many more years will Philly fans be delusional about embiid😂

[@thatguyjoe3649]

@noahdwhitney He played better than expected with his knee, but unless the team is bringing in lebron james or pg, trade this dude! His health is too much of a liability.... AND he is dirty

[@KlutchKris45]

Thank you, @ThinkingBasketball. With all of the trolls on the internet, reading the low-level Embiid discourse has taken a toll on a bunch of us Sixers fans. You were able to critique him without dismissing the good things we've seen from Joel over the years. I hope that he's able to complete this whole run at 85-95% because I think this is the best TEAM he's had around him and definitely the best coach he's had. #LetsGoSixers

[@MjolnaAlfougin]

KAT and Embiid returning just in time to play some before the Playoffs, the 76ers holding on to get in the Play-in, Clippers/Mavs/Knicks showing such good looks, this year's playoffs are going to be so exciting

[@13thravenpurple94]

Excellent video 👍 Thank you 💜

[@tigerhoods7927]

Most players who get half of the points from the free throw line tend to struggle when they aren’t getting them same calls in the playoffs

[@dominiquerosemond5682]

Well he averages 9 free throws in the playoffs

[@Liam-ex4mf]

Well you dont get calls in big moments, u need to be able to score

[@jojoprocess2820]

This is such a stupid argument that shows you have never watched a single game from him. He literally draws fouls at a higher rate in the playoffs. You dont think playing with a fractired face, concussed and with a torn knee every year has more to do with it?

[@ItsDayDayTv]

@@Golgo1412 even if he averages 5 FTs he still will foul bait in big moments instead of puttin the ball in the basket. He’s not a closer. Stop defending him

[@marchman3000]

Just say you didn't watch the whole video

[@TolbertOseiOwusu]

Great work once again from Ben Taylor . We hope to get more content this postseason. Hopefully Joel can pick a thing or two from this video so he turns things around this playoffs . Another masterclass of a basketball content ❤

[@amit212543]

Great timing

[@MooreTainted]

Great content 💎

[@justinle8787]

I think Nurse made some good adjustments this year to build a team around Joel. Just hope that his body holds up for a full run, he always missed like a game or 2 every series. And you can say that in those series, he was not 100%

[@SSJRome]

Not up to par physically, he always seems to run out of gas the further he goes into the playoffs and that gets taken advantage of time after time.

[@MasterofLightning]

He's hurt and/or out of shape due to end of the season injuries before almost every post season.

[@slobodanvidekanic3633]

@@MasterofLightning ofc he is hurt. all that flopping and falls on floor to draw foul..

[@towelociraptor]

Fultz shoulders him in the eye in '18, played on a torn meniscus in '21 while his "star" pg refused to play offense, Siakam elbows him in the eye in '22, rushed back weeks too early from a grade 2 sprain in the last game of a dirty series by the Nets in '23. In the COVID year he straight up didn't have a point guard on the roster for the playoffs with Ben injured, still averaged 30/12 iirc. Dunno if his digestive issues were more significant than his conditioning in '19 vs Toronto, but he was like +90 that series (when nobody else on either team was above +45) because of his defense - so that's not nothing - but he clearly underachieved BADLY on offense in that one. It's a weird mix of freak injuries and bad luck, with a sprinkle of conditioning

[@kylemathis1562]

The last time he was healthy in the playoffs was 2019

[@treywilliams5345]

@@slobodanvidekanic3633he falls down to prevent injuries, just say u don’t watch him play

[@joyfulfishman5445]

Amazing video, thanks!

[@BigBoyDanny123]

I really hope this is Philly’s and JoJo’s season, love the both so much. Huge game tonight, let’s go Sixers

[@NJX0722]

*Phantom of the process* XD

[@i_would_but_i_wont]

Embiid would get injured less if he didn't dive to the floor after every shot. Flopping hurts you and it hurts basketball.

[@oreoakalaperoji8314]

You don't know what you're talking about and that's fine. We all have things that make us emotional.

[@i_would_but_i_wont]

@@oreoakalaperoji8314 Keep crying those tears. Maybe one day Embiid'll flop one up for you.

[@MR-xm9on]

the background music is so good!!!! nodding my head in the kitchen

[@lgm_nyk]

Interesting video, surprised there was no discussion on free throws though

[@user-bp1pu]

Cause his free throw attempts are 9 compared to 11. Its not his issue compared to passing out of doubles and the spacing and coaching that teams had with players like simmons, tucker, thybulle, harris and doc rivers.

[@ChibiMalzahar]

I can't believe embiid got nick nurse and GIANNIS AND DAME have doc rivers

[@shorewall]

The Bucks got to see Doc in the East Playoffs every year, and how he sold. Then they bring him in instead of Nurse? Why even fire Coach Bud then?

[@t4d0W]

@@shorewall Cuz Bucks ownership are dum dums. Coach Bud also underperformed in the playoffs so they went with a younger defense first guy in Adrian Griffin. Problem is they lost faith/realized he wasn't that guy, canned his ass before the trade deadline and 'settled' for Doc Rivers' poor azz. But overall the Bucks roster has loads of issues for defense because they are too old.

[@gahaylongplays7033]

Mr free throw doesn’t get the same calls and cant pass well out of doubles. There saved you 10 minutes

[@kaysheye7784]

he averages 9 free throws per game in the playoffs and 10 in the regular season for his career btw, not the drop you think it is at all, do better

[@J.bananas]

Your main music, that starts around 1:40 or before reminds me of Mass Effect starting menu screen

[@mitchelldavis9372]

You mentioned here but I need to really emphasize how much more spacing/ shooting is on the floor now. He legitly played with 2 OTHER centers multiple times. As well he lineups with only 1 above average shooter in them. Morey has done a great job finding pieces that cater to him and giving him space.

[@lukaslambs5780]

Embiid is a fantastic example of how scoring does not always equal success. To me, Jokić has always been better at making teams good when it matters.

[@pumelelabanca1442]

Joker is better sure. But lets not act like Embid is not alwaya injured

[@za5528]

A lot of the comments read like people who didn't even watch the video and just repeat stuff they see everyone say on Twitter. Nothing engaging with any of the content in the video at all

[@Jeremy-ot6pb]

you do realize he's third in assists per game among centers and was in the running for all defense first team before he got injured? do you just choose to ignore the rest of his game or something? what more do you want him to do on the court lol?

[@WalterFlanagin]

“Scoring does not equal success” but his problem in the playoffs is he scores less… yet another commenter who didn’t watch the video

[@towelociraptor]

This narrative exists due to a single playoff run and it could change with a single playoff run.

[@berryesseen]

12:57 Who is that outlier at the top right corner? He seems like a decent player.

[@JasonAtlas]

I'm curious as well. I would love to know.

[@drmagg666]

either Curry or Jokic, most likely Curry if i had to guess

[@KnoxWheelerJr]

Also you have to play good teams on the road in the postseason if you wanna win series unless you're the top seed

[@Matt-sl1wg]

Posting before watching the whole video because the answer is the same reason so many others fall in the playoffs after amazing regular seasons... The baited free-throws dry up.

[@Mrjvc163]

The weakness to his game which is his mapping and play making stems from learning the game later than others. He’s physically gifted and has good footwork. It’s unfair for us to expect him to excel in a playmaking role just because Jokic is an elite floor general at the center spot.

[@sirfish9824]

Jokic is only a better passer than embiid. I’ve never seen assists mean more than points and defense in my life until jokic and embiid.

[@Evenmixer]

Marc Gasol and Al Horford are Embiid's kryptonite

[@jstar0737]

Remarkable breakdown on how the defense will struggle against this team when trying to stop Embid. Its going to be his teammates having a off night but i highly doubt that will happen. He have shooter, one to four who are proven knockdown shooters. The team around him also play solid defense as well so trying to get switch will be hard at times. I dont know if they capable of defensive plays other than joel embid getting a block or just getting contest and rebounding the ball for fastbreak but thats the only glaring weakness they have. Lack of defensive playmaking. On the other end they have a playmaker in tyrese and they should use batum in so playmaking schemes as well but i highly doubt that they will pursue that route even though he is a great playmaker. Their playmaking in a half court offense will be challenged but i think they could do just enough especially with embid being the primary focus.

[@elnafe72]

Great video

[@JaronTevesOfficial]

Just remember that a 60 year old Horford locked up this guy on Game 7

[@gnomechomsky2524]

Don’t be ridiculous, Horford wasn’t 60. He was 70.

[@Scoots1994]

Horford had an old man game a decade ago. He's so under-rated.

[@HoopEnthusiasts]

Horford is a great defender but what made Embiid struggle was the double big that was helping off pj Tucker or Ben Simmons.

[@David-iv6je]

True, though Big Al has top tier defensive IQ. Even when younger he was anchoring Celtics teams to over-achieve on D.

[@lyfepoetic]

Sometimes he runs out of gas. Teams will use that and make his teammates beat them every time

[@xavierb9061]

This is best team hes ever had by far. Hes always had weak link teams could double off.. Simmons, tucker etc.

[@PIBoost]

Best coach too

[@chiewweilian]

what a typical excuse for embiid, always the others' fault, never the mvp's

[@jwatson181]

He is not a great passer.

[@xavierb9061]

@@PIBoost nurse great coach but wit simmons and tucker hed have same problem

[@myaheadhurts2]

@@jwatson181 He's great now

[@Toddpeekence]

Awesome thumbnail picture!

[@joshuawilliams2430]

Joel is my favorite player. Maxey is my 2nd favorite. I’m glad we made a coaching change over the summer. I’m excited for this post season

[@oreoakalaperoji8314]

They triple teaming the man and people wonder how he scores less lol

[@keithdale984]

Nobody watched the video lol. Triple and double teams and his closest outlets were Ben Simmons and PJ Tucker with Doc Rivers. I'm gonna trust Nick Nurse till he proves to me I can't. But I have loved the offensive flow and motion. No more isos with no movement. Totally different offense with Nick..

[@alexescutia4805]

@@keithdale984went from second round exits to a first round exit

[@berryesseen]

I'm not sure if it is healthy to compare his previous playoff series performance to his regular season performance this year. Surely, their system is different now but it doesn't prove anything in terms of "improvement".

[@Jeremy-ot6pb]

just say you haven't watched embiid this season. over the off season he worked on his game and now he's an elite playmaker as well. he's third among centers in apg (more than sengun) and his assist percentage jumped from 22% to 32% of his team's made shots. what do you call that other than improvement?

[@juan355]

Embiid is a phenomenal player. That said, I always thought it was a red flag he NEVER had a 70+ gp season

[@GerardoTostado]

That's why I am not sold that the modern game has gotten "better". Embiid has all the moves in the world but when the defense gets tight it all comes down to simple moves and quick reads. Jokic shows every bit of that off because he can score in small spaces. Jokic doesn't foul hunt and when it comes down to crunch time he's much more composed. That's what separates being very good with being great. Hesi tween tween doesnt make you a better player.

[@MrDiMES123]

Jamal Murray is the Denver playoff performer & closer

[@johnbarkley925]

Top reasons why Embiid struggles in the Playoffs 1) the officiating is different and you go to the line less. Unnatural actions to draw falls are counterproductive too. 2) the opposing team is engaged on the defensive end unlike in the regular season where every one watches you score without stopping you. 3) Embiid doesn't have a solid inside game in the playoffs and the ability to get a bucket close to the rim. He prefers to settle for jumpers like kg used to instead of doing like Jokic or Malone. 4) Although he is a great mid range shooter in the regular season, he isn't proficient enough to make it his go to weapon in the playoffs like Booker or KD. 5) the more physical the play and the defense against him, the more his stamina is tested. 6) Joel is an average decision maker with the ball in his hands. 7) I think that part of the struggle, similarly to Harden, is mental. I don't think he has the same mental toughness, resiliency in face of pressure that Luka, Booker, Giannis have. This has nothing to do with skillset. 8) he doesn't have too many counters. If you take away Embiids scoring you take away almost everything. He cannot punish teams by crushing the boards or lockdown defense because in the playoffs skilled players would attack you defensively. 9) Poor leadership in terms of empowering the teammates. 10) usually he loses to players better than him in the playoffs: Kawhi, Jimmy, Tatum. - Playoff losses that are justified 2020 (No Ben Simmons) , 2022 ( missed first two games of series - playoff losses that are unjustifiable -2018 to Celtics - 2019 to Raptors -2021 to Atlanta -2023 to Sixers

[@Jonathan-A.C.]

Largely this is very apt

[@Howdidhenotseeme]

Nothing but facts

[@HoopEnthusiasts]

Wrote an essay to make false statements 🤡

[@Jonathan-A.C.]

@@HoopEnthusiasts What’s wrong with it, in your opinion?

[@wephilips6651]

Wrote a whole essay and didn’t even once mention the injuries

[@Eidenhoek]

1:12 Yo. YO. That is a CRAZY play!

[@uncleren]

God I miss Marc Gasol. Seeing him be a father to Embiid brought a tear to my eye.

[@bobbyrowber]

Hhhmm,.. I can't be the only one who noticed that this channel always has something to say about Embiid shot-comings,.. When Embiid was dominating the league they never made a video about him but now since the playoff are here I see this,... I literally checked for vids to see if there was a breakdown on how Embiid was having success in scoring before his injury but there is none. perhaps am reaching or them boys dont like Embiid that much

[@kijanamshonwa5151]

I did notice that too,...

[@aestheticphilosopher]

@@kijanamshonwa5151 @bobbyrowber he’s made a video assessment of Embiid in 2019, a video of Embiid’s near quadruple double game, and a (part) video of Embiid being able to contain Nikola Jokic’s highpowered offense.

[@aestheticphilosopher]

Also this video literally defends Embiid’s short comings in the playoffs and basically chopped it up to injuries , lack of skill/post game back then, and a coach that couldn’t hide his weakness.

[@alexescutia4805]

Almost like we’ve seen embiid put up good regular season stats for years and have been waiting for him to make a deep run for once or something.

[@owmegwoagm]

Good breakdown! Let's hope the big fella can stay healthy.

[@martinhodell8465]

great breakdown

[@David-iv6je]

I'm a professional geneticist. I've always thought there is the intangible of "durability" vs. "injury prone." A fair amount of that is no doubt training, but a lot isn't. There is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which at its extreme end involves strong mutations in connective tissue components and processing enzymes. We know of these because people come to clinics early or late with a checklist of structural problems, sometimes horrific. But any good geneticist will tell you there is probably an other end to the spectrum, where athletes are optimally built to withstand injury. But there must be a vast middle. Subclinical, in that they didn't present in the clinic with obvious problems, but vulnerable. Many of these are probably weeded out through the sports process: you can't rise to the top with various tears and dislocations in your teens. But extreme physical traits - like being 7 ft tall or over - or extreme skill sets - like great strength, speed, handles and shooting - can provide a counter-selection. I'd argue this was Greg Oden or Brandon Roy. Poor Blazers! Lesson: don't draft a guy with a history of joint injury, especially legs. I don't care if he looks like Jordan or Olajuwon. If you get to the pros, or even a top D-I school, advanced physical training and increased strength that comes with maturity can mitigate predispositions to injury. There is also training like core, gait, base and even how to fall, all of which you can see in Steph Curry between being drafted and his peak. But they can't eliminate it. I suspect Embiid simply is not that durable, genetically speaking. It would be interesting to do a study sequencing a bunch of genomes and correlating with injury history or lack thereof.

[@Max-kw2hp]

So basically you're saying some people will get injured more and other less. Thank you for this invaluable genetics lesson.

[@latergator9622]

I appreciate seeing your expertise, one thing to mention is that the way Embiid plays the game is extremely risky. I am constantly surprised he isn't injured watching him drive to the basket. My impression is that he's more durable than average, but doesn't play in a way that mitigates risk as much as he should. Thanks again for your comment

[@David-iv6je]

@@Max-kw2hp I'm saying teams should sequence the genomes of anybody they draft or trade for. I could probably write an algorithm for them. Except I've got my own research program and can't be arsed! :)

[@David-iv6je]

@@latergator9622 Yeah man just had cause to think about this recently. A friend as Ehlers-Danlos. Geez I should write a grant on this except it's not really in my area.

[@Max-kw2hp]

@David-iv6je I know my friend. With the outcome possibilities range, solid science method is on par with crap shoot. I am not as smart as you, didn't mean to offend.

[@anthonycelestin3559]

The elephant in the room is that Embiid is the biggest playoff choker, even more than Harden

[@sirfish9824]

Bro. Harden was never hurt tho. Embiid is literally hurt every year either in the playoffs or just before. Last time he was healthy he averaged 30 and 12 in the playoffs.

[@oreoakalaperoji8314]

lol yall kids are allergic to listening comprehension. Next time don't mute the video.

[@kaysheye7784]

I'm sure injuries have nothing to do with it meanwhile Harden was one of the most durable players ever

[@anthonycelestin3559]

@@kaysheye7784 When Harden was in his prime, his #s didn’t drop down in the playoffs like Embiid. Harden’s #s dropped down consistently in the playoffs since he went to the Nets

[@kaysheye7784]

@@anthonycelestin3559 Harden’s numbers dropped even as a Rocket…

[@onelove2230]

Activity is such an underrated value add.

[@supersonicprime]

Another fantastic video! I suspect that you may have a "End of Warriors Dynasty?" video perhaps mulling around in your head. If so, I HUMBLY REQUEST a thorough look at Kuminga. My friends and I have been upset all season, and rewatched game tape over and over, because we believe he gets blamed for a lot of things that are not on him. Meanwhile Klay Thompson has completely fallen off a cliff and Coach Kerr (and maybe Steph) refuse to treat that as a reality. Just want an honest, objective assessment of Kuminga. Of course, he's not perfect. But it's been wild to see his leash held so tightly over the season when there's any minor mistake while others on the team get to make mistakes over and over again. He's said several times, he doesn't know why he's being benched. That's bad coaching IMO.

[@Narmanostardoll]

This video is hilarious. He starts by saying it’s the injuries and then step by step demonstrates that it isn’t really because of the injury and how it is actually something about his skillset limitations

[@mateusbronze1075]

In these demonstrations embiid was injured lol thats whats hes saying

[@Narmanostardoll]

You might want to rewatch the videos. In multiple instances embiid has the same struggled injured or not

[@Tiffany_Waiting]

Cause relying on getting 10+ FTA every game is not a dependable playoff strategy

[@dominic3926]

he averages 9 fta in the playoffs so you are just wrong lol

[@letterkeys4440]

@@dominic3926 lmaooooo you just made his point bro

[@smittywerbenjagermanjensen320]

@@dominic3926Jokic averages 5 FTA in the regular season

[@dominic3926]

@@letterkeys4440 ? his fta drops by 2 and thats it. His on/off is super high but Pihlly loses the game whenever he is out. Im not sure if you watched the video or not

[@dominic3926]

@@smittywerbenjagermanjensen320 jokic plays with his back to the rim and Embiid plays face to face. Its not hard to know why Embiid gets more calls if you knew ball

[@Jsch23]

embiid needs to learn how to land properly after going up for a dunk or difficult layup. also as a nuggets fan i have a ton of respect for embiid, i think at his best him and giannis are the only players in the league to challenge jokic for his current title as best player in the nba. with luka and sga kind of nipping at the heels of those three bigs. the league is just so damn stacked right now.

[@HUGEPoWERFULPooPS]

He had doc rivers as a coach

[@ThePenitentSquirrel]

and bird bones

[@ishyameru6232]

That is also true

[@imranxalamin]

for his whole career?

[@imranxalamin]

i love embiid but these excuses are lame

[@fabmyride5181]

Glen

[@AndyCromer-kl9jz]

this man deserves some sort of media award from the nba, bro is consitiently dropping well researched deep breakdowns that actually look at the trends in the game rn

[@azzureeee]

as a sixers fan i truly hope embiid is able to put the naysayers to rest lol, but what great player doesn't have haters? i appreciate the big fella for putting his body on the line for us time and time again, truly beloved athlete in the city

[@Anonymous-zc8gh]

Disappointing yoy year after year he should’ve left in 2021

[@alandpost]

He falls down a lot -- does that hurt his team's transition defense?

[@woohthatsrightkid7152]

It feels like a lot of his injuries have been freak injuries too Then we have had some weird playoff looks around him against bad matchups

[@rav781]

Amazing to see how his game has developer. A completely different player.

[@YourBeastRoy]

NO ONE IN NBA HISTORY HAS MORE HATERS THAN JOEL EMIID AND ITS NOT EVEN CLOSE...

[@donaldf9055]

Bron. Bron has full channels that hate on him constantly l.

[@donaldf9055]

@Nawchos how?

[@kaysheye7784]

@@donaldf9055 he won't answer

[@YourBeastRoy]

​@kaysheye7784 I didn't say most popular did I numb nuts? You do the math on why LEBRON has more anything lol

[@YourBeastRoy]

​@Nawchoshow tf else is hate accumulated towards a person? You not agreeing with their actions, unless you're a lunatic hating for no reason. Most hate is just ignorance anyway

[@dominic3926]

His injury history in the playoffs lol. Torn Meniscus he played through, broken face x2, LCL sprain last year as well. Multiple month long injuries that obviously hinder his performance.

[@TheRulersBack18]

honestly crazy that ppl just forget this stuff lmao. when it's steph, this account will do whatever it can to defend his poor playoff performances due to injury

[@HowardMoon56]

If Steph never passed the 2nd round in his career, I'm sure people will critisice him too.

[@keithdale984]

I think his conditioning takes the biggest hit. Missing time than jumping into a series full steam has really hurt him. The Toronto series where Siakam broke his orbital bone really fucked us. He came back to the Miami series down 0-2 and tied it up 2-2 playing with that fucking Mask. He has had some untimely injuries no doubt. Doc Rivers blew that Hawks series by not pulling Ben Simmons when they went ro Hack a Ben. I have no doubt in my mind Nick Nurse would of pulled Ben's ass out of the game. Nurse won't sit on his hands and I like that about him..

[@alexescutia4805]

@@TheRulersBack18steph is a proven champion stop comparing embiid who’s been injured every playoffs and never seen a conference finals to proven champs

[@DTOWNRW16]

Favorite player OAT and i grew up in the AI era

[@joshuasamuel2274]

Do you think some "vertical spacing" where a Obi Toppin/Aaron Gordon type can seal deep position or catch lobs and dump offs would help him? I feel like when he ISO's from the nail or elbows with 4 shooters spread and no one in paint its easier to double him and muck up his driving lanes, especially since he cant hit tighter passes to small cutters.

[@oppai.zokusei]

Same thing with Harden,they revolve around their game on getting to the foul line

[@Pickn4Gold]

He is not built for playoff basketball, he expects foul calls and purposely falls down more often than not to draw fouls. That causes injuries, and is part of why Jokic is usually healthy he doesn't fall down to get calls often. Also Embiid tends to sit against top tier opponents during the regular season, hasn't played in Denver in years, sohe isn't even training to play the best he ducks them to stat pad against bad teams. If you only play your greatest competition in your era at home, your numbers will be exaggerated because you don't get the road drop off mist players have. You said he is responsible for 43% of his teams scoring while on the court, so jam up the paint and make him find the correct outlet. Thats why he blames his teammates for losing in the playoffs, he can't do his normal things as easily if a team has a 7 game gameplan versus random team X coming to town for a night in February. He had Harden, a multiple time scoring and assists leader in the NBA, but Embiid couldn't get the ball to the right outlet and it make Harden suffer.(he has his own issues, but I thought he looked ok last year compared to Houston Harden in the strip club till dawn every night.) Watching this breakdown its clear why Jokic is the one talked about for the Hall of Fame one day while Embiid will be begging to get in with no rings in Philly when he demands a trade in the next year or two.

[@drew6-gx1kl]

everything about embiid is unethical. the way he gets fouls and shoots 12 freethrows, the way he ducks the tough away teams. the guy literally has multiple 7-10 days of vacation within a regular season schedule just resting off especially during those difficult 3-4 away game stretches... you could see this season since the 65 game rule was implemented he was very deliberate on making the bare minimum threshold and trying to win mvp by padding stats. also a player like embiid being able to use his lingering injuries as an excuse at times to not play games when he is not on the injury report should not be overlooked. he has already done this against denver so many years and this season he surprised everyone in a new way by bouncing out at the very last minute. and against okc on his return from injury he was ruled out from playing but then was given the green light as soon as the sga and jdub not playing tweets were posted. the way he can decide to play or not while having the medical team as a scapegoat is rule breaking and is dirty tactics. small fines for penalization doesnt work and is ineffective because they are slaps to the wrist. these things are some of the things i really dont understand about the nba and its treatment of the real true superstars. why would the nba/referees want to give a guy like this the best soft whistle in the game when there is absolute zero merit? also why the benefit of the doubt when he has abused the rules of being on the injury report? this hurts the betting companies that are affiliated with the nba and adam silver who loves money would surely be going out of his way to enforce the rules regarding this... plus he never plays or tries to play all 82 games either so anything involving sixers already makes nba a bad product to the consumers... embiid is a fraud. he is one of the most protected and least scrutinized players because of the blind delusional fandom over there. he knows himself he has the power as a franchise player and face of the team and whatever his shortcomings are he will get no hate. he will never leave because he is in the perfect environment. the moment he is traded off to another team he is officially finished and will be perceived as someone like a bradley beal or an anthony davis in his injury days. embiid is the antithesis of jokic. contrivance vs real true greatness.

[@bowtiebann9630]

He falls to protect himself... How do blame a player for being smart enough to get ur team in foul trouble... Joker is a great passer but offensively his bag isn't as deep as Joel's. His teams outside of the Jimmy year was flawed.

[@EK-19]

​@@bowtiebann9630 i dont think you know the meaning of having a 'bag' when it comes to the greatest offensive player in jokic and since when is passing not included as offense?

[@Pickn4Gold]

@@bowtiebann9630 jokic is by far the better offensive player, Joel might be the better scorer but Jokic has been more efficient and on less shots than Embiid does. And cool fall to the floor to get more calls, as a big guy you'll get injured a lot more from hitting hardwood which is why Embiid didn't qualify for awards this year and never will again. Fyi, since you're making stuff up. 2PA - Jok 17.9 a game, Embiid 21.8 a game FG% - Jok .583 a Game, Embiid .529 a game 3PA - Jok 2.9 a game, Embiid 3.6 a game 3P% - Jok .359 a game, .388 Embiid a game, but Jokic had a down year after being well above Embiid for years Assists - Jok 9 a Game, Embiid 5.6 a game. That's 18-27 points for Jokic per game through assists, to Embiids 11-17 extra points through assists, which negates Embiids higher personal PPG and makes the 76ers easier to stop in the playoffs when Embiid needs to score more to win games than Jokic personally has to when he would rather assist anyways. TS% - Jok .650 , Embiid .644 FTA - Jok 5.5, Embiid 11.6. When playoffs tighten up the paint, and refs stop calling as many fouls, Embiid becomes pedestrian but still flops leading to injuries.

[@sirfish9824]

@@EK-19 you people that think jokic is better than embiid make me realize how stupid people are. Since when did assists mean more than points and defense? Embiid is a way better scorer and defender and it’s not even remotely close. And defense is half the game. And embiids the best scorer in the league while being top 3 paint defender.

[@mindyourbuisness8104]

Hes extremely talented but he clearly depends on the whistle and will always be "hurt". Some players can play injured and you will never know but embiid isnt one of those

[@nathanzika7809]

nice content

[@jiuc9314]

Tbh, his basketball IQ is just not that good. Sure he can score but once the opponent throws different match ups at him, he is easily confused or flustered. His scoring arsenal has improved but overall maturity has not. He hasn't really taken his size/height advantage to improve the people around him like Joker. You can literally anticipate his decision making because it takes so long, he's slow to make those crunch time decisions. Whining about calls and flailing his 300lb body around doesnt really help either because it's really dangerous to the other players around him. He probably falls on the the floor more than any other player (as far as I can rmb)

[@tobiadebiyi7490]

thats literally just it, he doesnt have that elite elite Basketball IQ

[@averageytber5547]

Because as great as he is, his shot diet is exactly the type of shots that the defense wants him to take.

[@panthergawwwddd5887]

As a Sixers fan, this is what I’ve been saying for YEARS. His passing certainly needed work and has improved, but it’s the shot selection that has bothered me the most in certain instances. Free throws be damned, I think a more efficient shot selection would help him improve as some of those middys he likes don’t always come in the best rhythm.