Joel Embiid would rather score in the paint than from 3-point range
Joel Embiid is your modern NBA center. Standing at 7-feet, the 24-year-old can play with his back to the basket, run the floor and stroke shots from from beyond the arc. But just because he can hit shots from 3-point range doesn’t mean he likes it.
After the Philadelphia 76ers cruised to a 126-101 victory against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, Embiid told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that he doesn’t like attempting 3-point shots. He scored a game-high 27 points and snatched 11 boards. Just like in Philadelphia’s 131-109 victory against the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Embiid didn’t attempt a shot from beyond the arc on Saturday against the Raptors.
Instead, he asserted his dominance in both games by using his size and strength in the paint, playing with his back to the basket.
Embiid says he only shoots threes “because of the spacing that we have, and sometimes I have to take them. I have to be on the perimeter, just getting guys open, because of all the attention that sometimes it seems are presented to me.”
And since Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas didn’t play due to injuries on Saturday night, Embiid was able to wreak havoc in the paint and be efficient. “When he plays that way all the time, I think he is unstoppable,” said Ben Simmons.
Embiid shot 62.5 percent from the field over the past two games. “I feel like my efficiency is getting back to where it should be,” Embiid said. “Part of the problem that I see with myself is, I should never shoot under 50 percent and I do it a lot.
He’s shooting 48 percent from the field this season, but he feels like shooting 3-point shots “had a lot to do with me shooting under 50 percent.”
Embiid knows he can shoot score from all over the court, but he’s comfortable with playing in the paint – which, of course, is what a center is supposed to do. However, you’ll see Embiid shoot more threes this season.
“I’m sure I’m gonna take some,” he said. “I’m sure some games I’m going to take 10, some games I’m going to take 15 … you’ll see.”
