MIAMI — Joel Embiid's long-range game is intriguing. At 7-feet tall, he has the ability to knock down three-point shots with a smooth release.
Embiid, who is rehabbing from season-ending foot surgery, has been hitting treys after practices and before games. Brown has referred to Embiid as the best shooter out of the Sixers' three bigs. Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor are a combined 2 for 7 from three this season (Okafor is 1 for 6).
But for all the threes Embiid has swished while he rehabs, Brown would like to see him closer to the basket in spite of the allure of his shooting abilities. Embiid has yet to play in an NBA game since being selected third by the Sixers in 2014.
"I doubt that’s going to be the thing, or I hope that’s not going to be the thing, that we look back and say, ‘Joel was just an amazing three-point threat,'" Brown said before the Sixers played the Heat on Sunday. "We hope he’s going to be a low-post threat to start with. But I can’t dismiss the excitement that you have when you see a man of his size have the ability to do that."
When Brown watches Embiid shoot from beyond the arc, he is reminded of a player he once coached on the Spurs' staff. Different position with a similar flow.
"You look at those shooters that have strong wrists," Brown said. "[Manu] Ginobili had a strong wrist, it came off his hand easy. Joel, it comes off his hand easy."
Embiid recently returned from rehabbing at a facility in Qatar. Until he is cleared to play and takes the floor for his first career NBA game, coaches, players and onlookers alike can speculate how his skill set will translate into live action.
NBA
"It’s an effortless long shot for a very big man," Brown said.