5 Reasons why Joel Embiid is a true unicorn

In today's NBA, point guards consistently grab the headlines with dazzling displays of skill. The position is rich with talent, and many of the league's most impactful stars are playmakers with the ability to shoot from the perimeter and defend stoutly on the other end.

True centers, on the other hand, are a dying breed as the league moves towards a future of positionless basketball. In comparison to 25 years ago when the likes of David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing were in their primes, the NBA truly has a dearth of elite centres.

As a result, big men of Joel Embiid's ability are now termed "unicorns." The same tag has also been slapped on players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Kristaps Porzingis and Karl-Anthony Towns — who're all big men with a more diverse array of skills than most of their predecessors from yesteryear.

With that being said, here is a list of 5 reasons why Joel Embiid is a unicorn.

#5 His ability to shoot three-pointers

Embiid could develop into a very good three-point shooter

While he's not an elite three-point shooter by any stretch of the imagination, with a career average of 32.6% from deep, Embiid's ability to vacate the paint and space the floor by moving beyond the arc is a skill that only a handful of big men possess, even today.

It's not even a small sample size; Embiid is taking 3.4 shots per game through 56 games this season, peaking with 6 makes on 12 attempts against the Trail Blazers when he scored 29 in late December. In the same game, Dario Saric was able to score 25 points, with many of them coming from drives into the lane.

#4 He can score from mid-range

Embiid has the potential to prove that Morey Ball isn't the only way to go

Embiid converts 42.2% of his pull-up jumpers from mid-range. They account for 22.6% of all the shots he attempts — a sizeable margin. 3.6 attempts per game from mid-range territory by a big man his height, 7 ft 2 in, are essentially unguardable.

On open shots (defenders at a distance of 4 feet or more), Embiid is converting a steady 48.6% of his attempts. These shots comprise 19.8% of his total shot attempts.

Contrary to Daryl Morey's philosophy of eliminating mid-range shots, Embiid is proving that big men can shoot and make 2-point field goals at an efficient rate. Without this weapon in his arsenal, Embiid would be a much more predictable player and easier to guard on the offensive end of the floor.

#3 He can post up like no one else

Few players in the NBA can post up like Embiid

Embiid's primary offence comes from the low post. In fact, no one posts up more often than him in the NBA. Embiid averages 9.9 possessions from the post per game. And more often than not, he finds a bucket, averaging 0.98 points per possession and converting 51% of his shot attempts from that area.

If he does find a pathway to the paint, he's nearly unstoppable. On attempts from distances less than 10 feet from the hoop, Embiid is averaging a whopping 69% conversion rate, and he does this on 7.0 out of the 9.9 possessions that he is handed the ball in the game.

Embiid's 7 ft 6 in wingspan allows him to get his shot off virtually uncontested, and his Olajuwon-like footwork makes him a wily customer to deal with.

#2 His playmaking ability

One of the most underrated skills in Embiid's game is his ability to make plays for his teammates. The Philadelphia 76ers have a plethora of playmaking talent with the likes of Ben Simmons, TJ McConnell, JJ Reddick and Dario Saric all being adept at distributing the ball.

Even around the league, players like Nikola Jokić and DeMarcus Cousins are much more noticeable with their high assist numbers. While they certainly do average a high number of assists, Embiid's 3.3 assists per game rank sixth in the league among Centers.

Most of Embiid's assists come when he is double-teamed in the post area. The 24-year-old has amazing court vision and can capitalise on these double teams by making the right pass to an open man.

#1 He is incredible at protecting the rim

NBA All-Star Game 2018 — With Rudy Gobert missing a number of games, could Embiid win Defensive Player of the Year?

Embiid is currently the best two-way center in the NBA. His offensive rating of 110.4 is sixth among all centers while his defensive rating of 100.4 is fourth, contributing to a third-place finish, in terms of net rating. However, his scoring prowess trumps that of Jakob Poeltl and Clint Capela who rank above him in this criterion.

Embiid averages 1.7 blocks per game, nabs 28.7% of all available rebounds on defence and opponents shoot only 41.5% on shots guarded by him. These numbers mean that the outspoken Cameroon native is amongst the elite defenders in the game and has an opportunity to win Defensive Player of the Year.