Which NBA players face the most pressure in 2020-21?

3. Joel Embiid

It was a miserable 2019-20 season for Joel Embiid. One of the game’s most efficient interior scorers had to share his area of domain with fellow teammates and defenders help-side defenders. His average shot distance was the highest of his career.

The Philadelphia 76ers whimpered out of the first round in four games and there was only so much the All-Star big man could do with structural issues facing the team put around him.

However poorly Philly’s offense was spaced last season, it took Daryl Morey all of one night to remedy those woes. Out went Josh Richardson and Al Horford. In came Danny Green and Seth Curry, two career 40 percent 3-point shooters. The departure of Horford allows Tobias Harris to return to the power forward spot full-time, where his outside shooting and on-ball abilities are better suited.

Suddenly, the team failing to put Embiid in the necessary positions has plenished him with everything he needs to dominate in ways only he can. The league’s best post-up threat finally has room to work. Of course, all that’s now working for him puts more pressure on Embiid to ensure it’s properly utilized.

We’re talking about a player whose conditioning and shot selection have always held him back. But those individual issues were overshadowed by the larger problem of the team. No longer is that the case.

It’s an exciting time for the Sixers with possibilities closer in line with the potential we know they have. Any scenario that gets them out of the second round and beyond rests largely on Embiid’s shoulders. He wants to be a superstar and everything that comes with it. Now there’s nothing in his way to keep him from it.