Sixers' Joel Embiid gives health update after road win over Mavericks

1 week ago 2

The Philadelphia 76ers will go as far as Joel Embiid will take them. While Tyrese Maxey has taken yet another big leap in his development, the big fella is still the engine that will drive this potential title contender.

After dropping 22 points in Thursday's win over the Dallas Mavericks, Embiid is now averaging 29.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 47.9% from the floor in his last five games. It's obvious that the 2023 MVP winner is beginning to get back into the rhythm he has been searching for.

Embiid has had to battle through a ton of adversity in order to get to this level again. There are moments when he has been able to take over and look like himself on the offensive end of the floor and he knows it, but he's also in the stage where he understands everything is changing in Philadelphia.

"If you want to talk about feeling like myself, two years ago, when I felt like I reached that peak level of every time I stepped on the court, I felt like I could score 40 or 50 every single night," Embiid told reporters. "I can be more aggressive, but I feel like I’m also smarter."

Another area of Embiid's game that is coming back to the forefront is his rim protection. He had a block in the win over the Mavericks and is averaging 1.3 blocks over his last five games.

"Taking what the defense gives me,” Embiid said of his offense after the win. “Physically, where I felt most (like myself) is defensively. I’m getting back to that level of (protecting the rim), blocking shots, and being that defensive presence.”

As the big fella moves forward, the Sixers will need him to continue taking these steps forward. It's obvious that he is beginning to look like the Embiid of old in terms of being able to take games over on the offensive end, as well as be a presence defensively, which will give the Sixers what they need to succeed and contend in the East.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers' Joel Embiid gives health update after road win over Mavericks

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