NBA: Off-season weakness each star should have worked on

8. Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers – Passing from the post

Joel Embiid was one of the best players in the league last season, and he had a legitimate case to be the “per-minute” MVP of the league. His defensive presence is one of the best in the league, and offensively he can be the fulcrum as a scorer inside. He even hit 85.9 percent of his free throws last year – good luck fouling him!

The area where Embiid struggles, other than simply health, is with his passing. Embiid is actually a solid passer when he is facing the basket on the elbow. When he has his back to the basket, however, he is susceptible to doubles and stunts because his exit passes are often inaccurate or too late.

Embiid is a handful down low, one of the few remaining post behemoths. Only a handful of players can handle him one-on-one. The obvious strategy would be to send a second player to double him, which by necessity leaves someone else open. Especially with Ben Simmons potentially purged from the lineup, that means Embiid may be playing with three or four other shooters.

If Embiid can get the ball to one of his teammates quickly and accurately, they can rain down 3-pointers and force teams to stay home, giving Embiid that juicy one-on-one matchup. Improving his passing from the post will open up the Philadelphia offense and reduce his turnovers in one fell swoop.