Fansided

Why Joel Embiid should have made the 2017 NBA All-Star team

By Bryan Toporek

Jan 20, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) congratulates Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) after the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 93-92. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) congratulates Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) after the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers won the game 93-92. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 13, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) stands for the anthem prior to the start of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 13, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) stands for the anthem prior to the start of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

He’s having a profound effect on Philly

The following things are all true:

  • Last season, the Sixers won 10 games in total.
  • This season, despite adding only three new rotation players via free agency or trades—Sergio Rodriguez, Gerald Henderson and Ersan Ilyasova—the Sixers won their 10th game on Jan. 8.
  • Despite the Sixers having a net rating of minus-5.4 as a team, Embiid is a plus-67 on the year. He is the lone Philadelphia player with a positive plus/minus rating.
  • The Sixers average 0 more points per 100 possessions with Embiid on the court versus when he’s on the bench. They allow opponents to score 9.3 more points per 100 possessions when he’s on the bench rather than on the court.
  • The Sixers’ defensive rating with Embiid on the court (98.5) is 2.5 points per 100 possessions better than the Golden State Warriors’ league-best mark (101.0). Their defensive rating with him on the bench (107.8) would rank 24th league-wide.

And then there’s this fun nugget, which ESPN Stats & Info’s Micah Adams tweeted on Jan. 18:

Though Embiid isn’t solely responsible for the Sixers’ recent surge up the Eastern Conference standings, there’s no denying the energy he has imbued into the organization. With every rim-rattling dunk, pull-up 3-pointer and vicious rejection from Embiid, it’s becoming progressively easier to imagine Philadelphia emerging as a legitimate NBA Finals threat in the coming years, particularly considering the asset cache former general manager Sam Hinkie accrued before unceremoniously departing the organization last April.

Since team record often factors into All-Star Game nods—see: the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks, for example—the Sixers’ 17-27 standing likely didn’t do Embiid favors this season. If Philadelphia continues progressing at the rate it has since the calendar flipped to 2017, though, that’ll be a non-issue come next season.

Next: The All-Star Game is about fun

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