It’s only three preseason games into his professional career, but Joel Embiid has already shown flashes of All-Star potential.
Joel Embiid finally made his long-awaited debut for the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday against the Boston Celtics.
And it was everything 76ers fans waited two years for.
Embiid played only 13 minutes, but put up six points, four rebounds and two blocks in a short amount of time.
He looked ready to play against real professionals despite having limited time on a basketball court.
More from Philadelphia 76ers
- That escalated quickly: How the Harden-Morey situation intensified
- 3 NBA superstars with legacies on the line heading into 2023–24
- Ranking the 4 riskiest boom-or-bust NBA teams in 2023–24
- NBA Rumors: Stalled trade talks may lead to Blazers, 76ers keeping stars
- NBA Trades: This Blazers, Heat, 76ers, and Clippers swap would alter NBA
That’s not even counting the injuries that have derailed his early success. Embiid never played the game of basketball until high school, giving him a disadvantage over many of his peers.
But that hasn’t mattered to Embiid, who’s already shown flashes of All-Star potential for the Sixers.
It started against the Celtics in which he was active on both ends of the floor looking to make an impact.
Embiid displayed touch from the mid-range and showed off a few back-to-the-basket moves on offense. Not only that but he also blocked and altered shots at the rim showcasing his defensive potential.
He’s not perfect, and that debut certainly wasn’t perfect. But putting conditioning to the side, his skill level impressed fans and gives the city of Philadelphia much-needed hope.
Embiid’s second outing against the Washington Wizards wasn’t nearly as spectacular skill-wise. But, he still flashed the athleticism that made him a top prospect in the 2014 draft.
NBA centers generally don’t move with elusiveness and great end-to-end speed because of their overall size. Embiid is an exception, as he moves up and down the floor like a small forward.
He doesn’t have the overall stamina to start and play extended minutes, but his physical dominance has shown in limited action.
Not many big men can launch a jump shot at one end, run down the floor and block a shot at the other end.
As long as he stays healthy Embiid’s skill and athleticism are problems for any team to deal with.
But we haven’t even talked about his most recent preseason game yet.
Against the Cleveland Cavaliers Embiid connected on a three-point shot, the greatest unknown about his game.
We’ve seen workout videos of him drilling shots from beyond the arc, but in-game is a different story.
If he’s a threat to hit on even 34 percent of his looks from deep, it changes things for the Sixers offense.
What the 76ers lack the most is outside shooting, but Embiid and Dario Saric have offered promise in that area here in the preseason.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
Philly head coach Brett Brown has already spoken about how he wants Embiid to anchor the defense. Those are telling words considering he didn’t speak of his offensive skill, which is off the charts.
Post moves, jump shots and immense defensive potential define Embiid. He’s truly the complete package on both ends of the floor, and he’ll only get better as the years go on.
In just 13 minutes per game, he’s averaged 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while showing touch from all areas of the floor (even hitting on 75 percent of his free throws).
As long as the injury concerns remain concerns, then his ceiling is limitless.
Those All-Star “flashes” will become much more than that in time.
Welcome to the NBA Joel Embiid.