Subtle Stats Underscore Embiid’s ImpactA quick scan of Joel Embiid’s final line from Thursday’s box score might give a misleading first impression.In the context of the points / rebounds output we have come to expect from the rookie in the extremely early stages of his career, he was fine. Fourteen points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes is, after all, nothing to sniff at, even if they were below his per game averages.From an offensive efficiency standpoint, Embiid finished 5 of 15 from the field. The center would probably be among the first to tell you he could do better. The big man’s shot chart, however, tells a more detailed story about his shooting performance. As the graphic below demonstrates, five of Embiid’s 10 misses came from beyond the 3-point arc. Without question, in 14 outings leading up to the Sixers’ tilt in New Orleans, Embiid had established himself as an uncannily reliable marksman from the perimeter, given his size and position. In the end, Thursday could very well end up being – and probably was – an outlier. Still, despite Embiid being off the mark from 3-point territory, it was encouraging to see him succeed on the interior. Dealing with veteran defenders and rolling waves of double-coverage, Embiid managed to sink 4 of 7 attempts within five feet of the rim, plus a baseline pull-up.At the end of the evening, though, the lasting impressions that Embiid left at Smoothie King Center went beyond stats like points scored, rebounds, and baskets made. For Brett Brown, one number in particular popped off the box sheet. “What we all should look at is his plus-minus, and that is massive,” said Brown. It sure was. To the tune of a “plus-27,” easily a career-high for the 7-foot-2, 275-pounder.The NBA’s plus-minus metric accounts for how much a team outscores or is outscored by its opponent when a specific player is in the line-up.Here’s a snapshot of a few highlights the Sixers achieved Thursday during the 27 minutes that Embiid was on the court:* They manufactured a dominant advantage in points, 66-39.
* They converted 48.0 percent of their field goals, which matched Dario Saric’s same team-high on-off figure.
* They hit a team-high nine 3-pointers.
* They outrebounded the Pelicans by five.
* New Orleans committed 13 of its 17 personal fouls. Another helpful tool in measuring Embiid’s impact Thursday were his four blocks, two of which came at the expense of Pelicans forward/center Anthony Davis, the NBA’s leading scorer. The second of these two swats was especially important, as it preserved a 57-57 third quarter tie, and ultimately set up a possession that vaulted the Sixers in front for the first time since the opening period.Then, there were Embiid’s two assists – not a large number in terms of volume, but, in revisiting the junctures of the game when these dimes came, their significance stood out. Embiid’s first assist, distributed in the second quarter, allowed the Sixers to keep pace with the Pelicans, which, at that point, were in control. Later, Embiid’s second helper yielded vital, energizing insurance for the Sixers in the closing stages of Thursday’s fourth quarter. In both instances, Embiid made the most of what New Orleans’ defensive gave him. He accepted that he was well-covered by Omer Asik, and, instead of forcing a lower-percentage move to the hoop, Embiid effectively “quarterbacked” the gym, identifying open high-percentage 3-point shooters.”Joel does a good job when he’s double-teamed of kicking the ball out,” said Ersan Ilyasova, who paced the Sixers with 23 points for a second consecutive contest.”When someone gets a good look, we trust in them to hit the shot,” Embiid said.There was one final relevant stat nugget Thursday. The Sixers entered the day having dropped their previous 23 road outings. Much to Embiid’s satisfaction, the streak screeched to a halt.”That’s a bad stat,” he said afterwards, “so a win helps to deal with it.” Embiid, even with fewer “jaw-dropping numbers” than usual, as Brown put it, was a substantial force in changing the Sixers’ course.Check back throughout the day for additional Notebook items.
