It’s been a week of good and bad news for Philadelphia 76ers fans enamored with Sam Hinkie’s “Process.” The good news came early on when reports began to emerge that the Sixers’ 2014 first round pick, Joel Embiid, had been cleared to participate in everything but full contact scrimmages. The bad news came only two days later when Hinkie issued a 13-page resignation letter that essentially said that he was stepping down because ownership was engaging in a process of its own to undermine Hinkie’s decision-making powers.
Given that it’s Friday and I’m in a celebratory mood because the weekend is around the corner, I thought I’d put together a couple of clips to remind everyone just how good Joel Embiid was in college in order to inject a bit more hope and liveliness back into the lives of Sixers’ fans. Unfortunately, there is only a limited amount of Embiid film available on YouTube, but I found a few clips that will serve our purpose.
In Embiid’s one season at Kansas, he made an impression on NBA scouts because of the fluidity of his movements as a 7-0, 250 pound center and because his skill set far surpassed his experience. Embiid made 63.9 percent of his 2s that season with nearly 67 percent of his shots coming at the rim. He displayed impressively quick footwork that allowed him to avoid incoming double teams and score easily at the basket.
Even when Embiid did get caught in double teams, he was effective at passing out of them in order to locate shooters on the perimeter. Embiid averaged 2.3 assists per 40 minutes that year, which is a reasonable number for a 7-0 center. As a 19-year-old in early 2014, Embiid had the presence of mind and patience to dribble backwards away from a double team before whipping a cross court pass to an open teammate in the opposite corner.
That patience also manifested itself on the offensive end of the floor where Embiid was capable of gathering and playing through traffic. For example, here, Embiid receives a dump off from a driving guard and is able to avoid a pesky defender before finishing with a slam.
These are just a few of the highlights Embiid delivered at Kansas. He ran the floor as well as any 7-0 big man that I’ve ever seen and was capable of finishing through traffic in transition. His 7-5 wingspan and instinctual awareness helped him block 4.5 shots per 40 minutes with a block rate of near 12 percent.
There are certainly real concerns about Embiid’s future. His foot injury could keep him from ever developing to his full potential, but if Embiid gets that chance, it’s hard to imagine him not becoming a productive player in the NBA. The Cameroonian native is still one of the best big man prospects in the league and these clips show why Hinkie was willing to take such a risk on him back in 2014. So, don’t give up yet, Sixers’ fans. “The Process” may still work out just fine.