The Philadelphia 76ers are a single win away from clinching a playoff position. They have had a season successful enough to be disappointed about currently sitting 4th in the Eastern Conference. But there is time to change that. A win here and a loss there could shuffle the top 4 in the East all over again. And they’ll be looking to Joel Embiid once again to continue his stellar form to close out the regular season.
Embiid has averaged a career-high 30.2 points per game and only narrowly trails LeBron James in the race for the scoring title this season. He is also averaging 11.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting at 49.3% from the field. And with a new All-Star teammate on the court in James Harden, those numbers are only getting better.
Joel Embiid has averaged 32.2 points and 12.4 rebounds in the 18 games he has played alongside Harden. A direct increase in his points and rebounds has also led to a slight decrease in his assists as Harden handles more of the ball as the primary creator. He is now averaging 3.7 assists. Consequently, The Process and The Beard have a 12-6 record when playing together.
Joel Embiid and his playoff woes
The 5-time All-Star’s regular-season performances have put him in good stead for the MVP race. But it is not what really counts, as he’ll tell you himself once the playoffs start. It is a question of how well regular-season form translates into the postseason. Neither Embiid nor Harden have won an NBA Championship.
But unlike Harden, Embiid has never been past the second round of the playoffs in his 4 playoff appearances. And there is plenty of reason behind that underachievement.
Joel Embiid In the clutch in playoff games for his Career:
▫️28.0 FG%
▫️0/4 from 3
▫️9 TOV
▫️-18
▫️4-9 record– Has more turnovers (9) than field goals made (7)
The playoffs are nearby… ???? pic.twitter.com/pD0JuxK2zB
— HaterMuse (@HaterMuse) April 3, 2022
Clutch time is defined as minutes when the scoring margin is within 5 points with five or fewer minutes remaining in a game. It is what makes the greats legends. And immortalizes a player. Unfortunately, Joel Embiid hasn’t quite found his feet during the clutch in the playoffs.
In 13 such tight games, Embiid has shot a woeful 28% from the field and turned the ball over 9 times. He has also failed to convert any of his 4 attempts from deep. Subsequently, he and his team have gone on to lose 9 encounters that can be defined as clutch time.
Will any of that change this postseason? Or will The Process remain a process?