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Philadelphia 76ers: The Rookie Of The Year Race Is Over

By Josh Cornelissen

Nov 19, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dunks after the whistle against the Phoenix Suns during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dunks after the whistle against the Phoenix Suns during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers are playing their best basketball in years, and it’s all because of Joel Embiid. Has the center already locked up the Rookie of the Year award?

At the halfway point of the NBA season it’s a fun exercise to identify candidates for end of the year awards. With 40 or more games in the books, the leaders for those accolades begin to emerge, and fun debate ensues as to the most deserving player.

For MVP, the debate is incredibly lively, as Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and even a few others can make cases for the honor. Defensive Player of the Year is a tight contest between Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert and Kawhi Leonard. Coach of the Year could go to any of a dozen deserving candidates.

But the one award that has already been locked up is Rookie of the Year. Somewhere at the league offices, a trophy is sitting with the plaque already engraved:

2017 NBA Rookie of the Year – Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid has been one of the best centers in all of basketball this season, and by far the best rookie among a disappointing group. Despite playing limited minutes, the seven-footer is averaging 19.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. On a per-36 basis, he’s pouring in 28.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks.

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It’s not even the traditional big man statistics that Embiid is filling the box score with, either. Among centers he is 11th in the league in assist rate, sixth in the league in three-pointers made, and sixth in three-point percentage (among centers who have made at least 10 three-pointers).

If Karl-Anthony Towns is the modern NBA big man, and Kristaps Porzingis is a unicorn, then Joel Embiid is a diesel truck with wings. On the block he devastates opposing defenders with a skilled post game, winning with both power and finesse. On the perimeter he takes and makes three-pointers whenever left open, and the next play puts the ball on the floor to blow past closing defenders.

When Joel Embiid has been on the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers, they have a positive net rating for the season, one that would give them a win expectancy of a 56-win team. When Embiid is off the court, they have the win-expectancy of an 11-win team.

All of the on-court dominance is impressive for a seasoned veteran in the prime of his career; it is even more astounding for a rookie. When you factor in that Embiid only began playing basketball in 2011, the miracle grows. Now remember that he spent the last two years unable to play competitive basketball because of serious lower body injuries.

That’s the man leading the league in blocks per game despite being 154th in minutes per game. The man who has dragged Philadelphia, a team without first overall pick Ben Simmons or a substantial free agent signing in years, to eight wins in their last 11 games. Five teams have a worse winning percentage than the 76ers through Monday night’s games. If they played in the Western Conference, they would be 2.5 games out of a playoff berth.

A recent knee contusion will keep Embiid out of the lineup for the next two weeks, and Philadelphia may lose its grip on this exciting run. But that would simply be more evidence that Embiid is the sole engine for this team, and that this award is his alone.

There are other rookies in the league showing flashes of future success in the league. Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, Jaylen Brown and Brandon Ingram are all playing minutes and showing off their lottery pedigree. Malcolm Brogdon has carved out a significant role in Milwaukee, and Golden State and San Antonio are giving rotation minutes to Patrick McCaw and David Bertrans, respectively.

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But no team in the league can say their best player is a rookie, and no other rookie deserves consideration for the All-Star team. Yet Embiid can claim both. If this season’s rookie class had played last season, Embiid and perhaps Brogdon would have been the only players to make an All-Rookie team.

This is not to say that Joel Embiid is not having one of the best rookie seasons in recent history, because he certainly is. There is a good chance he would have beat Karl-Anthony Towns for Rookie of the Year last season, and most such winners dating back to Tim Duncan. The impact he has had on the 76ers has outshined his limited minutes and lack of back-to-backs.

The greatness of the season Embiid is putting together, combined with the absence of a serious challenger, means this award is already locked up. If Embiid didn’t play another game this entire season, he’d still probably win. This race is over.

Now Philadelphia fans can turn their attention to other questions. Will Embiid make the All-Star roster? How soon will Ben Simmons return, and can he make an immediate impact? Will they together lead Philadelphia into a late-season playoff push?

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These are the exciting questions that have been missing from Philadelphia in recent seasons. With the answering of one question, hope and excitement are blooming on the horizon. And the entire league gets to enjoy the show.