Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

NBA: 10 Early-Season Storylines To Keep An Eye On

By Brady Rippon

May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after being called for an offensive foul against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after being called for an offensive foul against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 11
Next
Oct 6, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) in a game against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. The Washington Wizards 125-119. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 6, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) in a game against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center. The Washington Wizards 125-119. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Joel Embiid is the Rookie of the Year favorite!

After two long years of injuries and rehab, Embiid is finally more than a Twitter handle for Sixers fans. The social media guru has been excellent in his infant NBA action – knocking down threes and flat-out bullying NBA centers in the post.

Embiid’s offensive versatility and polish have been amazing for a player lacking any professional experience. His defensive presence has also been noteworthy. Embiid currently ranks second in the NBA with 3.0 blocks per game. Embiid was to sure to affect opponents on the drive just by his sheer colossal frame. Yet, it has been his quick recoveries and agility on switches that has allowed Embiid to cover ground and contest shots.

The most surprising part of Joel Embiid’s early success has been his unexpected workload. Sixers coach Brett Brown has been vocal about keeping Embiid on a strict minutes limit for the majority of this season. So far, Embiid has averaged about 20 minutes per game, well in line with the organization’s expectations. However, the Sixers have been sure to get their money’s worth when the center does see the court. Embiid is second in the entire league in usage rate, trailing only the aforementioned Russell Westbrook. Joel Embiid uses an incredible 37 percent of Sixers’ possessions while he’s playing. This is totally uncharted territory for a rookie.

There were two big arguments against Joel Embiid winning Rookie of the Year coming into this season. One: he and teammate Ben Simmons would split votes. And two: his minutes limit would prevent him from accumulating the raw stats necessary to take home the trophy. Simmons won’t play until at least 2017 with a broken foot.

Also, Embiid has the ball so much on offense when he plays that he has still managed to score 18.5 points in his short work. That’s nearly one point every minute! No other rookie has come close to challenging Embiid’s production thus far. The award is his to lose.

Home/NBA News