Having become a genuine household name in just his second season, here’s a look back at the 2017-18 campaign for Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
With just 31 games under his belt over the first three seasons of his career, it was difficult to ascertain just how much impact Joel Embiid would have this season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
However, these doubts were quickly dispelled as Embiid’s health and confidence continued to build. Despite playing just 25 total minutes in the preseason action, Embiid quickly built himself up to the stage where his early season minutes restriction soon became a thing of the past.
In all, Embiid played 63 games, averaging 22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 blocks in 30.3 minutes per game. Embiid’s return to health was so significant that eight of his 19 missed games came courtesy of a fractured eye socket, and nothing to do with the knee injury that hampered his preparation. Furthermore, another three games came following a triple overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, whereby Embiid’s 49 minutes on the floor were simply too much for his body to respond at that stage of the season.
Becoming the first Sixer selected to the All-Star game since Jrue Holiday in 2013, Embiid’s impact on the team was profound. Achieving a monumental 24-win jump from the previous, the Sixers’ 52-30 mark was good enough for third place in the Eastern Conference, and as a result earned home-court advantage for the first round of the postseason. It certainly didn’t hurt that Embiid was a +485 while on the floor throughout the course of the season.
Already secured for the long-term with a five-year, $146 million contract extension, here’s a look back at Embiid’s 2017-18 season.