Joel Embiid’s early return to the hardwood from a lengthy injury boosted the Philadelphia 76ers’ chances for the NBA Championship. However, due to safety measures, he was soon restricted from participating in the remainder of the regular season. But there was no stopping the Cameroonian when the franchise rolled into the play-in tournament against the Miami Heat.
Embiid showcased an outstanding performance by scoring double-doubles on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center. Snatching the win by a narrow margin, the Philly franchise secured their playoff round-one series against the second-seeded Eastern team, NY Knicks. Despite Embiid’s supreme qualities, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins refuses to pick the Sixers in the upcoming series.
On ‘NBA Today,’ Perkins expressed concern about the 7-footer’s health, which bars him from choosing the Philadelphia side. Justifying his choice, the analyst said, “If Joel Embiid was 100 percent, yes I would take Joel Embiid. If Joel Embiid was 90 percent, yes I would take Joel Embiid. If Joel Embiid was 80 percent, yes I will take Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid is nowhere close to that. He has zero dunks since returning from the injury. That means his lift is not there.”
Embiid displayed massive dominance on the floor and was a favorite in the MVP race, but he got disqualified from it due to his long-term absence. Though he claimed to be happy about not being a part of the race, he also discussed that the injury took a toll on his mental health.
However, now that he is back, he would want to fight hard to get his hands on his first championship trophy, but a New York center has probably figured out his strategy.
Knicks center calls out Joel Embiid’s game plans
The NY Knicks haven’t been a favorite among many analysts, but they look like a serious contender in the playoff tournament. Ahead of the intense battle between the two teams, Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein seems to have understood what Embiid’s game plan would be.
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In the press conference, Hartenstein said, “He’s going to seek fouls, so that’s the main thing. Through fouls, he’ll get his little breaks and easy free throws, so that’s the main focus—not letting him to the line and going from there.”
Joel Embiid had an 88.3% success rate this season on free throws, and pointing out his affinity for the specific scoring method could be an attempted mind game from the Knicks center. But since it is the playoffs, everyone, including Embiid, might need to bring something more out of their bags.
Also Read: Sixers’ Star Nicolas Batum Shines Reviving His Game Against the Miami Heat
