No, Joel Embiid isn’t scared, but he’s missed his share of games against the NBA’s top centers | Keith Pompey

Embiid is recognized as the most dominant center in the game. To remain there, and not let other stars such as Nikola Jokić overtake him, he must continue to play against the elite centers.

Joel Embiid blocking Rudy Gobert's shot during the second half of the Sixers' overtime win against the Jazz on Wednesday.Read moreMatt Slocum / AP

by Keith Pompey

Published March 4, 2021, 1:16 p.m. ET

Perhaps I should be flattered that Joel Embiid is using me as motivation.

Give the 76ers’ All-Star center credit. He posted an MVP-worthy performance while dominating the Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert in Wednesday night’s 131-123 overtime victory.

His 40-point, 19-rebound effort against Gobert, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, came two nights after Embiid had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists in only three quarters against the Indiana Pacers and center Myles Turner, the league’s leader in blocked shots.

After Wednesday’s win, Embiid had some thoughts on a question I had asked Doc Rivers a few weeks ago.

“Well first of all, according to Keith Pompey, according to him, I’m scared of [Gobert] and I’m scared of top centers,” Embiid said. “As we saw tonight, it looks like I was very, very scared of him. So yeah, keep talking.”

He added that he hoped his performance can clear things up for me and WIP radio host Howard Eskin, who’s been critical.

As a pool reporter for Wednesday’s game, I was conducting a Zoom call interview with Jason Phillips, the vice president of NBA replays, to discuss the replay review of a Jazz turnover with 28 seconds to play in regulation. That Zoom session came during Embiid’s press conference, so I missed his comments in real time.

I never said he was scared of competition. Embiid knows that. The fact is, five of the six games he missed were against elite centers.

Dominant performances such as Wednesday’s are common for Embiid. He’s a four-time All-Star who has scored 31 or more points 15 times this season and is averaging 30.2 points (second in the NBA).

However, it’s undeniable that Embiid hasn’t played a lot against the league’s elite centers.

To his credit, Embiid hasn’t missed a game since he sat out on Feb. 15 during the Sixers’ first meeting with the Jazz in Utah.

Embiid missed that game with back tightness. Before that, he missed head-to-head matchups against standout centers Andre Drummond (Cleveland Cavaliers), Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets), Jonas Valančiūnas (Memphis Grizzlies), and power forward Domantas Sabonis / Turner (Indiana Pacers) for what the team called back tightness or right knee pain.

Because of load management, Embiid is going to miss games. But I asked Rivers after the Feb. 15 game if there is concern about the games he has missed against elite centers.

“That’s a hell of a question,” Rivers said that day. “No. He’s just a late scratch. I mean, obviously, I thought there were no issues with Joel. I thought he’d play. And then they came to me and told me his back was still stiff.

“So I don’t think this is a long-term issue or anything like that. I think it’s just a game miss.”

According to sources, Embiid decides whether he’s able to play. On occasion, he has waited until just before game time to inform the team of his playing status. He was listed as questionable leading up to Monday’s win over the Pacers because of an ankle injury.

He scored 31 and 50 points against the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls, respectively, in the next two games. Houston center Christian Wood was sidelined with an injury and DeMarcus Cousins, who started in his place, isn’t the Cousins from a couple of seasons ago. The Rockets waived him six days after that game.

The Bulls used a tandem of third-year center Wendell Carter Jr. and former Sixers power forward Thad Young to guard Embiid. He feasted as Carter was too inexperienced and the 6-foot-8 Young was too small to guard the 7-2 center.

Over his next three games, Embiid combined to make just 14 of 53 shots (26.4%), averaging 22 points against the Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks.

He broke out of his shooting slump Saturday against Jarrett Allen and the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers. Embiid scored 42 points on 13-for-22 shooting, and recorded 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks in the Sixers’ worst loss of the season.

The Cavs prevailed, 112-109, that night at the Wells Fargo Center despite playing without Matthew Dellavedova (concussion), Andre Drummond (personal reasons, seeking a trade), Kevin Love (right calf strain), Larry Nance Jr. (left hand fracture), Taurean Prince (personal reasons), and Cedi Osman (lower back spasms). Another player, Brodric Thomas, was on an NBA G-League assignment.

That brings up Embiid’s one-sided showdowns against Turner (Monday) and Gobert (Wednesday).

Gobert was expected to provide the stiffest individual test for Embiid. In the last two seasons, Embiid shot 19-for-48 (39.5%) with Gobert on the floor, and 12-for-35 (34.2%) when Gobert was the closest defender. But Embiid was dominant Wednesday, making 14-of-27 shots.

Turns out he used my question to Rivers about Embiid’s missed games and pointing out Gobert’s past success as motivation.

Yes, Embiid is recognized as the most dominant center in the game right now. To remain there, and not let other stars such as Jokić overtake him, Embiid must continue to play at high level against the elite centers. Not just play — he has to play at a high level.

The Sixers’ success and his MVP chances will depend on it. A big unknown is if he can stay healthy and maintain this level of play to carry this team to the Eastern Conference finals.

But hey, it’s always good to serve as someone’s motivation.