Joel Embiid: 3 skills to work on this summer
2. 3-point shooting
If there was ever a time to follow me on Twitter, it would be now. Sixers fans will not like what I am about to write next and my mentions will pay dearly because of it, but:
Joel Embiid is not yet a stretch-5.
Sure, he looks the part. Portland Trail Blazers fans know this firsthand, as he drained six of 12 triples against them this past January. Fast forward a couple of months to March, and you will find that Embiid hit only 28 percent of his three 3-point attempts per game. For the entire 2017-18 season, the Process drained a mere 30 percent of his 3s. According to ESPN, Embiid finished last among all qualified centers in 3-point percentage.
To really hammer home this point, compare Embiid to Nikola Vucevic. This was Vucevic’s first season taking more than one 3-pointer per game. It would be difficult to find analysts who label him a stretch-5. Still, he hit almost the same amount of total 3s as Embiid and hit them at a higher clip.
| Rk | Player | Season | G | 3P | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joel Embiid | 2017-18 | 63 | 1.0 | 3.4 | .308 |
| 2 | Nikola Vucevic | 2017-18 | 57 | 1.1 | 3.6 | .314 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/10/2018.
Embiid has the mechanics to be a good 3-point threat. He shoots an easy ball and nailed 36 percent of his treys during his rookie campaign. So what needs to change? Fortunately, the good people at 3Ball.io have recorded just about every make and miss from behind the arc that Embiid attempted this past season.
There are some constants among Embiid’s misses. Sometimes he simply dips the ball too low before he releases. Although he catches this ball at his shoulders, Embiid brings it down to his knees prior to hauling it up again. A dip can be a good rhythm setter, yet big men like
and
have much more success launching from a high release point.
Good 3-point shooters have gotten over the hump of shooting against close-outs.
In this situation, Embiid either needs to remain on balance despite the potential contact, or pump fake and get by Marc Gasol. A left/right miss of this caliber suggests Embiid should have driven to the rim. Improving shot selection will boost his efficiency in this area.
This summer, Embiid should practice shooting over taller defenders. There are plenty of videos out there showing players shooting over brooms or foam rollers as well. Instituting a high release point into his game could provide him with more consistent 3-point shooting.