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Joel Embiid’s Defensive Level is the Story of the Sixers’ Season-Opening Win
By Sean Barnard
Published:
The Philadelphia 76ers kicked off their widely anticipated season with a 106-100 victory over the New York Knicks. It was a terrific feeling to spoil the banner night in New York, and the star-studded lineup largely lived up to the billing.
But as much attention has gone to the additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, it’s clear Joel Embiid remains the tone-setter.
The former MVP finished his debut with 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and was a +13 in the six-point victory. You can take some issues with his shot selection, as Embiid shot 4-for-15 from the field and just 2-for-7 from beyond the three-point arc. But the volume is more notable to me here. Embiid shot 15 or more field goal attempts in 30 of his 38 regular season games played last year, 12 of his 19 games in 2024-25, 37 of his 39 games played in the 2023-24 season, and in 61 of the 68 games played during his MVP 2022-23 season. This willingness to defer to his new star teammates is significant, and his consistent willingness to make the right play offensively was one of the biggest talking points that Nick Nurse hit on postgame:
But even more noteworthy was the resurgence of Embiid defensively. There was plenty of talk all throughout training camp about the weight that the Sixers’ star has dropped. While this was obvious just by looking at him, how this translated to his movement was unclear. The laundry list of injuries he has sustained throughout the years has had some effect and it is sometimes jarring to look at his most recent highlights compared to as springy as he was just a few years earlier.
However, Embiid’s highlight reel last night looks a lot closer to his earlier career success. He finished with two steals and three blocks, showing an increased effort to get up and down the floor throughout. There was a notable improvement in his lateral ability in space and verticality at the rim. At his peak, Embiid was one of the premier defenders in the entire NBA. He has earned three All-NBA Defensive Team honors and finished as high as second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Returning to this level is a clear goal that the Sixers’ star has entering this season:
Embiid being physically capable of returning to this defensive level changes the outlook in a major way. For the bulk of his career, it has been true that regardless of who the four players were surrounding on the big man on the floor, the Sixers were an above-average defense. This outlook has dissipated a bit in recent years.
But, in theory, with a lighter offensive load on his plate, Embiid should be capable of returning to this elite defensive level. This proved to be the case in the season opener, and he set a massive tone for the entire season. The 32-year-old making it clear to his new teammates in the locker room that this is such a priority is an even greater sign.
There are plenty of ways that this Sixers team can score the basketball. Tyrese Maxey led the way with 28 in MSG. There is no player in the NBA who pairs the raw downhill speed with perimeter shooting the way Maxey does, nor does there seem to be any player who can come close to sticking with him in the open floor.
LeBron James was surgical in his Sixers’ debut, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. He played with a notable edge, showcased his versatility by filling a variety of roles that included running the offense as the primary playmaker and essentially serving as the backup center in the second half. James’ ability to raise the level of players around him already stood out in his Sixers debut, and has been one of his best traits throughout his career. There will be nights where he takes over offensively at a greater rate. But attempting fewer shots than the other three star players felt almost intentional in his debut. He was an adult on the floor in the way this roster has lacked, and showed an uptick in defensive intensity that was not on display in Los Angeles very often last year.
Jaylen Brown finished his debut with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while only turning the ball over twice. There were no real flashes of the tunnel vision or over-dribbling tendencies that have sometimes plagued him, and Brown never felt like he was forcing his role in the offense. Brown trying to recreate the famous Dwyane Wade/Lebron dunk in his opening night with the future Hall of Famer teammates was also hilarious in a positive way:
The Sixers benefitted from some strong bench minutes from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anfernee Simons. The two combined for 51 minutes of action, 23 points, and five made three-pointers, including in some timely moments. KCP is a winning player with two championship rings on his finger and has a knack for constantly being in the right place on the floor. Simons missed preseason as he recovered from a hamstring injury, but looked like himself last night and is the type of role player that will capture the hearts of Sixers’ fans at a rapid rate. He can catch absolute fire from beyond the three-point arc and will be a key basketball chess piece Nurse uses to space the floor when opponents begin to throw double teams at the more notable stars at too aggressive of a rate.
It was not the ideal start to the season for V.J. Edegcombe, but he had some nice flashes playing off of James and brought it defensively. The second-year guard finished with nine points, four rebounds, and an assist, while shooting 4-for-10 from the field overall. Edegcombe will have his nights where he shines more from a statistical standpoint, but he has a personality that does not seem like it will be bothered by taking a step back this year. In the long run, expect his experience playing alongside these future Hall of Famers to only benefit his outlook. In the short term, he is a vital part of the defensive vision the franchise is intent on building.
The more things change, the more they stay the same, and there are fair concerns about the Sixers’ backup center spot. Adem Bona was outplayed greatly by former Sixers’ backup big man Andre Drummond. Bona was held scoreless and pulled in just three rebounds across his 10 minutes of action, failing to find any type of rhythm and still having issues consistently catching the ball when rolling to the rim in a way that is necessary. To be fair, Bona missed preseason due to a foot injury and has not had much time to get on the same page with all his new teammates. Nurse deserves credit for adjusting and going away from him in the second half, as the Sixers leaned on more of a small-ball approach. James’ versatile skillset plays a major role in this even being possible, and Dean Wade will also help with this outlook when he is healthy. However, the season-ending Achilles tear to Ariel Hukporti was an unexpected hurdle sent the franchise’s direction and will have a bigger effect than many have noted.
But it is tough to feel anything but positive about the start to this Sixers season, especially the level of impact from Embiid. The organization no longer entirely lives and dies with his output as the two-time scoring champion the way that was once the case. Embiid is such a tone-setter for the team in a variety of ways, with his easily identifiable mood on the floor of note. His leadership has been a frequent point of criticism, and Embiid’s pushback has always been that his style is built more upon leading by example. The Kansas product certainly led by example on the defensive end, and it felt like it played a major role in the entire team showing this level of buy-in.
It’sonly been one game, and there are still plenty of ups and downs that will occur this season. But walking into Madison Square Garden and defeating the New York Knicks on ring night is as great a statement as you could ask for out of the gates. Given the talent on the roster, it is just about certain that this team will be one of the best offenses in the NBA. But there were far more legitimate questions about how they will fare defensively, and holding the Knicks to 100 points on 37% shooting from the field was a great start in answering these.
If this is the version of Joel Embiid that is showing up defensively on a nightly basis, the Sixers should be viewed as the clearcut NBA Championship favorites.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.