The Hawks need to do a better job of forcing Embiid out of the low-post
This is definitely a lot easier said than done, but if the Hawks are going to take care of business on their home court, they have to keep Joel Embiid out of the low-post. Everytime he caught the ball down low, it seemed like the Sixers were guaranteed points and he dominated them on the offensive-end of the court in Game 2, going for 40 points on 13-25 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Clint Capela is a very underrated defender at the center position and had a great defensive year, but he was getting abused by Embiid in the low-post. The MVP finalist just bullied his way past Capela and was able to score multiple times in this game against him.
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Unlike many centers in the league, Joel Embiid plays a lot of one-on-one basketball on the perimeter. He tends to thrive in isolation situations with the ball up top and in Game 2 against the Hawks, he did a lot of damage just out muscling his opponents to his spots on the court.
Whether it was finishing strong in the paint with a one-handed slam or hitting a smooth looking fadeaway over John Collins at the free-throw line, Joel Embiid has multiple ways to wear down a defense and he put his full repertoire on display in Game 2.
Embiid is going to score one way or another because he is the best player on the court in this series and the Hawks do not really have a guy that can be as physical with him and he is with the Hawks, which is why they have to pick and choose where they want to defend him on the court.
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While he has done a ton of damage from the mid-range and perimeter all season long, I much rather see the Hawks play Embiid from the free-throw line back rather than in the low-post and I am sure their coaching staff would rather see that too! He is just too big and too powerful to guard in the low-post, even with a double-team, which is why they need to try and double him as soon as he tries to post up in the low-post.
Forcing Embiid to catch the ball at the free-throw line extended instead of the low-post does not seem like that big of a difference, but that one extra dribble that he will now have to take could be the difference in a potential steal or offensive foul being called in favor of the Hawks.
Doing so for the Hawks will allow guys like Danny Green and possibly Tobias Harris wide-open looks from either the corner or wing, but at the end of the day, Atlanta has a much better chance to win games if Danny Green and Tobias Harris are taking on the offensive load for Philly and not Joel Embiid.
If Embiid continues to get the ball where he wants it, he is just going to play “bully ball” with Clint Capela and the Hawks, resulting in Atlanta ultimately losing this series. They need to keep him out of the low-post, even if that means that he gets more looks from the perimeter and mid-range.
