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The Philadelphia 76ers are in an odd place. The sunny optimism about franchise players Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. They visited Brooklyn on Sunday and played some of the most uninspired basketball I've seen this season; after the 122-97 loss, coach Brett Brown sounded like a disappointed dad when he said the performance was unacceptable. They have lost eight away games in a row, including the three they lost in Boston in the second round of last year's playoffs.
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None of this, however, should be encouraged by Embiid's individual improvement. The 24-year-old is playing like an MVP – only Stephen Curry is scoring more than his 28.4 points per game, and he is posting career-best averages across the board: 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 blocks with only 2.7 turnovers in 34.2 minutes. Let's take a look at what's gotten into him and then jump around the league.
1. The bully with the soft touch
Embiid is a "geek movie," according to Drew Hanlen's skills trainer. In Kobe Bryant, Anthony Davis and other superstars handle double-teams, Hanlen told CBS Sports. He knew he had to decrease his turnovers, and he wanted to be prepared for any kind of scheme.
Post play is not popular in today's NBA, and is part of the world's largest and most important players. Embiid on this planet. Another part of it, though, is that the game is not set up for the old-school, throw-it-down-low strategy to work well. If Embiid had played in the big-man heyday of the 90s, he would have benefited from the illegal defense rule, which forced coaches to choose between single coverage and a hard double-team. In order to be effective in this respect, it is necessary to know how to behave in a timely manner. He also had to deal with smaller defenders.
Three weeks in, his offseason work is obvious. "He had a hell of a summer," said Brown, adding that it has spilled over into his mentality and disposition. Embiid wants to dominate. With the ball in his hands, he is as aggressive as ever, but more impressive is the polish on display when making his moves. It is possible to dunk it on your fingertips to float over your fingertips. He is willing to pass, knows where the Sixers' shooters are stationed and keeps getting better at finding cutters. He is a big bully, but not recklessly ramming into people.
On the block, opponents have had to resort to fouling Embiid – he has attempted a league – leading 9.9 free throws per game. This is a losing proposition because it has 80.7 percent of them. On the perimeter, Embiid is much harder to handle than he used to be. Brown pointed out that he's no longer needlessly upfaking or forcing out-of-control drives into traffic.
When Embiid puts the ball on the floor now, it is staying low, maintaining its frustrating turnovers that were such an issue last season. He is a threat no matter where he is, and it's not just because of his dribble-handoffs and shooting range. Even if you play close to perfect defense and force him to take a contested midrange shot, he can punish you.
"Nothing but this is going to be surprising to me," Philadelphia guard Landry Shamet said. "That dude's a freak." "He's doing what he does." "We just want to keep following him and hopefully all of us collectively can get a better deal and make it a little easier on him."
The new version of Embiid is a more mature, cerebral player who is efficient with his movement. He works with Sixers assistant coach Chris Babcock before and after practices, building on everything he did with Hanlen. "By and large he's doing this team," said Brown, adding that he wants to keep growing as a leader. In that department, his effort is showing, too, that his teammates are not sharing the ball in Brooklyn or bringing a level of energy to everyone else.
"[Embiid] Holds accountable guys, "Shamet said." Especially me. I know I'm going to have something to do with something. But he does that from top to bottom. "
The craziest part of all this: As usual, it's still a big, glaring area of growth. The other major focus of his summer was a 3-point shooter, but he only made 30.4 percent of his 3s this season. When it's time to translate, there will be no way to keep it.
2. Mentor, shmentor?
During the Sixers' 109-99 win against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Serena Winters reported that Shamet had been sitting next to JJ Redick on the team shooters in NBA history. Post-game, Brown said the team was using Shamet "as a mini-JJ," via USA TodayJeff Zillgitt.
Wichita State, Shamet's job on offense is on the floor, run around screens and knock down 3-pointers on the move. You could not be more scout Redlan could help the rookie:
Before Philadelphia's game at Barclays Center on Sunday, Shamet said it was tough at first to figure out how to be effective in Brown's system. It is still a learning process, he said, and part of it is simply watching how Redick does it. They also have conversations on the plane and work together after practice. This is all about what you are looking for when you are in your life.
"It was not like I was expecting this treatment," said Shamet. "I'd be lying if I said I was so I was just lucky enough to be able to get away from it. of a relationship with another guy. "
Shamet said redick teaches him something new every day and gets extremely specific when giving him pointers.
"I do not think for me right now there's a better person I could be learning from," Shamet said.
Redick said the main thing he has tried to impart the importance of having a base every night. Every time he checks into a game, he wants to know how he wants to play and where his strengths lie. Redick also made it clear that he appreciates that Shamet is genuinely listening.
"He's the easiest mentee," said Redick. "He's just got a good head on he shoulders He is willing to ask questions He is willing to ask questions "I'm going to have a great career."
Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez is helping 19-year-old big-man Wendell Carter. After all, there is more than one story written about their relationship. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg called Lopez has "great influence" on Carter.
"You can see him in timeouts, going over and talking – he's the first guy[CristianoFelicio'sCarterandCenterwhentheycomeoutofgames"Hoibergsaid"He'stalkingaboutcoveragesHe'sbeenawesome"[CarterandcenterCristianoFeliciowhentheycomeoutofgames”Hoibergsaid”He’stalkingaboutcoveragesHe’sbeenawesome”
Carter had only positive things to say about Lopez, a universally respected role player. He called the veteran "a phenomenal player" who knows what it takes to be successful.
"I just feel lucky enough for him to be around for me," Carter said.
It was light on details, however, and that can be because they are not conducting private film sessions on the subtle art of team defense. Lopez Carter is such a smart and skilled player.
"That's not my job so much," Lopez said. He's a really great kid, I'm going to help him where I can. "
Lopez in the locker room, the 30-year-old is not responsible for his success. Carter said he's been mature for his age "ever since I was little," his parents Hoiberg put it, "plays way beyond his years." That story is good enough.
3. The bench is better in Indiana
I've been saving this for a year now: Domantas Sabonis could be a star hiding in plain sight. He plays with a nasty streak, and he is unselfish a player as you'll find. He is always Indiana Pacers' offense when he does. If you watch the Pacers carefully, it is staggering how many good looks he directly creates or creates when he's on the court. And, this season, he has been one of the most productive and efficient players in basketball.
Through 10 games, Sabonis has averaged 21.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per 36 minutes. He has shot 68.4 percent, with a 72.9 percent true shooting percentage. He has a 27.6 PER, which ranks fifth in the league. When he 30 points in 21 minutes on 12-for-12 shooting at Madison Square Gardenit was a statistical anomaly, but he did not go out of the ordinary way he got his buckets. If coach Nate McMillan found a way to give him 30-plus minutes every night, his start would be a bigger story.
Sabonis, though, is only one part of a much-improved Indiana bench. Last season, the Pacers fell apart Victor Oladipo sat down, bleeding points with a net rating of minus-7.3. Tyreke Evans, who they are, signed Tyreke Evans, who told me a month ago that they thought they could compete with anybody in the East. When they have had a relationship with Oladipo, they have had a net rating of plus-2.2. Overall they have a plus-2.1 aggregate bench net rating, per NBA.com, which ranks seventh in the league.
Indiana is 7-4 after a rough fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets on Monday, but its one-point win against the Boston Celtics on Saturday felt like a statement. This may be the slowest team in basketball, but it plays hard with a purpose, and it has enough firepower to keep that going for 48 minutes.
4. The Bobanaissance
I can not get enough of the Los Angeles Clippers, and one of the reasons is that they moved Boban Marjanovic into the starting lineup last Friday. The appeal of Marjanovic is obvious: he is the largest person in the league, and he is impossible to stop one-on-one if he catches the ball near the basketball. His deficiencies are also obvious – he can not play huge minutes, he struggles with pick-and-roll defense – goal, finally, his team has decided to live with those.
Longtime Marjanovic's fans must be thrilled by how his playing time is trending. He is only averaging 13 minutes on the season, but averaged 21 in the three games the Clippers have played in the last week. Los Angeles has a plus-9.4 rating with Marjanovic on the court, and his per-numbers are even more ridiculous than Sabonis' – 25.2 points, 16.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.8 blocks – while shooting 65.3 percent.
Due to his size and finishing ability, Marjanovic is tough to deal with when rolling to the basket:
My favorite part of his game, though, is his hook shot. He does not want to be next to the rim to make it, and it can not be blocked:
Marjanovic has always been an intriguing player, a fan favorite and an advanced darling stats. This, however, marks the first time he has been unleashed as a regular part of a rotation. That's what it's all about, and it's on Doc Rivers' coaching staff to make sure the team continues to make the most of his minutes.
5. The Lowry-Ibaka connection
Serge Ibaka's career night The Los Angeles Lakers was just a continuation of what he's done all season. Toronto coach Raptors Nick Nurse, Ibaka is playing in lineups with pristine on offense and top-notch versatility on defense. He is doing more damage in the paint on both ends, and he is averaging a career-high 18 points on a career-high 59.3 percent shooting.
So much is going right for the Raptors, though, that it can be tricky to identify the most important forces behind their success. Ibaka's hot start should not be separated from the magnificence of Kyle Lowry, who's putting up the same number of numbers Steve Nash did when he won back-to-back MVPs. Ibaka has made 72 assisted shots, and more than half of those (37) have been from Lowry. In the 226 minutes they have played together, they have outscored opponents by 19.2 points per 100 possessions.
Lowry has made every Raptor's life easier. Ibaka. Time and time again, the point guard has been set up for floaters, shots at the rim and his beloved jumpers off short rolls:
Personally, though, I'd like to see more of this type of thing:
Ibaka has shot 24 percent from 3-point range, and he's taking only 2.3 per game, a drastic decrease. When he drifts to the midrange, he is obviously a threat to score, but it would be up to his teammates if he popped all the way to the 3-point line. Thus concludes my nitpicking of a player having a remarkable resurgence we have 10-1 team.
10 more stray thoughts: Joe Harris and Buddy Hield: Two players who are shooting the lights out … Jeff Bzdelik deserves A huge ovation when he returns to the Rockets … Draymond Green was averaging 8.5 assists before Monday's foot injury … The Raptors do not even totally know one another's tendencies yet … The Bucks have a net rating of over-9.0 with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the bench … The Pelicans might seem to be falling apart, but Elfrid Payton has had more than-36.1 net rating in 60 minutes … I would really like to get Dirk Nowitzki to get healthy … Keep an eye on Gary Clark … Jamal Murray has always had moxie.
All statistics accurate as of games played on Nov. 5.
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