Sixers Guard Speaks on 'Locked In' Joel Embiid

De'Anthony Melton feels Joel Embiid is more locked in than ever

Through the first quarter of the season, the dominant play of Joel Embiid has been the biggest takeaway for the Philadelphia 76ers. Fresh off winning the first MVP of his career, the All-Star center continues to elevate his game. 

For the third straight season, Embiid is leading the league in scoring (career-high 33.8 PPG). On top of that, he is posting a career-best in assists (6.4) and is among the league leaders in rebounds (11.5). What's most impressive about these stats is that Embiid has sat out of seven fourth quarters this season. 

On Wednesday night, Embiid put together another dominant outing. In 31 minutes against the Detroit Pistons, he posted a stat line of 41 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. This marked the third time this year that he broke the 40-point threshold. 

After practice on Thursday, De'Anthony Melton was asked about Embiid's growth this season. Having been here for some time, the veteran guard has a large sample of seeing the superstar big man up close. When discussing what's different with him this year, Melton feels Embiid is more locked in than ever before. 

“You can tell Joel’s more locked in," Melton told reporters. "Even after coming off an MVP season, you can tell he wants more. He wants more for himself, he wants more for this team. That type of stuff you’ve gotta love, & you’ve gotta embrace."

Based on his play through the first two months of the year, it's clear Embiid is motivated to make a statement. Despite all the James Harden drama that happened this summer, the Sixers star has been fully focused on nothing but basketball. Alongside emerging star Tyrese Maxey, Embiid continues to do it all on a nightly basis as he pursues his ultimate goal of winning a championship.