Joel Embiid only managed to play in 39 games in this 2023-24 season for the Philadelphia 76ers as he missed a big chunk of the campaign due to a meniscus injury. Despite spending a lot of time on the sidelines, the 30-year-old still ended up shooting more free throws than his great rival Nikola Jokic, who played 79 games
Joel Embiid: 39 Games, 452 FTA
Nikola Jokic: 79 Games, 438 FTA
It is quite stunning how Jokic couldn’t surpass Embiid even after playing more than twice as many games as him. I do find it odd how little respect the Denver Nuggets superstar gets from the officials despite winning two MVPs and a title.
Jokic is an excellent outside shooter, but he does a lot of damage inside, too, on the post. The 29-year-old was tied for seventh in the league this season for field goal attempts per game less than five feet from the basket but still averaged just 5.5 free throw attempts per game. Jokic plays through contact a lot more than you might think but just doesn’t get the calls.
Embiid, meanwhile, hasn’t had that problem. You could certainly argue that he hunts for fouls a lot, but his style of play also leads to him getting to the line a lot more. He is always in attack mode and knows how to sell contact, too.
Jokic wasn’t the only superstar that Embiid ended up shooting more free throws than this season. He had more attempts than even Kevin Durant (423) and LeBron James (404), who played 75 and 71 games, respectively. Embiid finished the season 14th in total free throw attempts, and here is what the top five looked like.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 782 FTA
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 649 FTA
3. DeMar DeRozan -612 FTA
4. Luka Doncic – 608 FTA
5. Paolo Banchero – 559 FTA
I think Paolo Banchero being up at fifth is certainly the biggest surprise here. While Embiid finished well behind this group, he did end up leading the league with 11.6 FTA per game. It was the third time he had done so in the last four seasons, with Giannis Antetokoumpo having led the league in 2022-23 with 12.3 FTA per game.
Joel Embiid ‘Ready To Go’ For Play-In Game Against The Heat
Embiid sat out of the final regular season game against the Brooklyn Nets after tweaking his knee in the penultimate game against the Orlando Magic. 76ers head coach Nick Nurse revealed they were just being cautious and that the star big man would be ready to go for the NBA Play-In Tournament clash with the Miami Heat.
If Embiid, who averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game this season, can lead the 76ers past the Heat, he will get a step closer to gaining some redemption. To say his last couple of postseasons were disappointing might be an understatement.
Embiid struggled in the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 as the 76ers were eliminated in the Conference Semifinals. Injuries certainly played a part in him not playing up to standard, and you hope he can stay healthy this time around. If he does, I can see the 76ers making a deep playoff run, provided they don’t end up in the same half of the bracket as the Boston Celtics.
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