5 Reasons why Joel Embiid is a true unicorn

#1 He is incredible at protecting the rim

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.