Joel Embiid’s MVP case gets even stronger when he’s not playing

Fourth of the way through the NBA season 2020-21, Joel Embiid is one of the front runners in the MVP race.

And the Philadelphia 76ers strengthen his case every time he does No right up.

After Monday’s 119-104 loss to the Detroit Pistons low, the Sixers are 12-2 with Embiid in the lineup and 0-4 without. The shorthand loss to the Denver Nuggets earlier this month was not possible – the Sixers used “Mike Scott” just to have at least eight active players in the league – but there is a loss for the injured Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies. to what the Sixers depend on Embiid.

That move isn’t limited to this season, either.

Not only does Embiid lead the Sixers in points (27.7), rebounds (11.5) and blocks (1.4) despite averaging just 31.6 minutes per game, but it is also a heart attack for their defense. Opponents shoot just 53.5 percent within six feet of the basket when Embiid is their top defender, 7.1 percentage points lower than their average.

Dwight Howard is thriving as an Embiid backup, but the 35-year-old is no longer equipped to play key minutes. Third-placed center Tony Bradley showed flashes of promise against Detroit on Monday, but there’s a reason he won’t get much running outside of games that Embiid misses.

Given the effectiveness of Embiid defensively, the Sixers may miss him even more on offense.

In Embiid ‘s 442 minutes so far, the Sixers have averaged 116.5 points per 100 possessions, which would be third in the league. In their 427 minutes without them, they get an average of 101.8 points per 100 possessions, more than two points below the Cleveland Cavaliers-103.9 worst league.

The 14.7-point gap between their offensive rating with him on the bench and him on the bench is higher than anyone else on the team.

The Sixers have always run the offense through Embiid. That doesn’t really matter this season. He leads the team with a 31.6 practice rating that runs the ninth league nationwide, and also leads the NBA with 10.7 free throw attempts per game. Those two stats alone help explain why the Sixers ’offense spouts when Embiid isn’t on the floor.

Embiid is sixth in the league in scoring, but that is not the only value he places on offense. The Sixers rank second in the league throughout the free throws largely because of it. And unlike Howard or Shaquille O’Neal, who were the lifelong responsibility of the charity strike, Embiid is dropping a high of 83.3 percent of its freebies this season.

When Embiid gets a big opponent in false trouble, the Sixers get more minutes against a backup that can be difficult to defend the edge as well. Those dirts also add to the team’s deceptive limitation, getting the Sixers into the win even faster. When unburned dirt leads to trips to the free throw line, it’s easier to cut lead or cut into a defect.

Head coach Doc Rivers has praised Embiid’s development as a passenger as well.

“We’re just growing,” Rivers told reporters after Friday’s win against the Boston Celtics. “You can see it. When you look at Joel’s numbers, 11-for-15. He didn’t put it into much action, he did some great plays, let him come to it. Down the piece, when it started instead of wanting the ball, he was really trying to get the ball to move the ball.He says so many things to your players.You have 39 or 38 , and you know now that you’re going to be a passenger, it just says its hurt. “

Embiid is actively inviting teams to double and triple for him this year so he can pull defenders on his way and push scrambled rotations as he kicks the ball on back out. Howard and Bradley don’t get nearly as much respect from defenders, so opposing bigs can play them one-on-one, forcing the other Sixers to do more offense on their own. . Both backs also lack Embiid shooting ability and friction around the edge, and Howard is far less certain at the free throw line (54.5 percent).

After Monday ‘s loss, Rich Hofmann from The Athletic asked Rivers how worried he was about his team’ s level of play sans Embiid.

“Not much, Rich,” Rivers replied. “Honestly, for me, it’s, it’s 19 games or whatever the season is? I’m not too worried or anxious at this stage of the season with all of them. who has been in and out, don’t worry about that so much.Of course, you have to win games without Joel.But you have to order your team first.I think in the second half of the season, if that happens, we’ll see more, but for now, it ‘s not on my list of worries. “

Ultimately the Sixers need to figure out ways to win more minutes without Embiid, as injury or misleading trouble could put you off right away. While the top of their competition depends on being healthy, they should be able to beat the feeders even if it doesn’t play.

But the more the Sixers struggle without Embiid, the more his two-way value comes. And if those are not the criteria for an MVP, what is it?

Unless otherwise stated, all stats will go through NBA.com no Basketball reference. All salary information through Spotrac.