Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, one of the best centers in the NBA, creates additional problems for the opponents’ defenses with his impeccable dribbling, writes Scott Cacciola for The New York Times.

The 7-foot, 280-pound player showcased a lot of extraordinary features during the season to become the favorite to win his first NBA Most Valuable Player Award. For the second consecutive season, he led the league in scoring. He recorded a career-high 33.1 points per game and averaged 10.2 rebounds. He also averaged 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks.

He also did something else more often than anybody else: he took 5,526 dribbles.

And while it used to be unusual for centers not to camp out near the hoop, the game has changed significantly and Embiid may be the best example of that.

“I think he thinks he is a guard,” said 76ers shooting guard Tyrese Maxey.

However for Embiid, it does not matter which position he plays.

“I believe I can do anything on the basketball floor,” said Embiid. “You ask me to be a scorer, I’ll be a scorer. You ask me to be a playmaker, I’ll be a playmaker.”

Read more about Joel Embiid in The New York Times.

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Joel Embiid had his third 50-point game of the year and fifth of his career on April 4th as he tallied 52 points (20-25 FG), 13 rebounds, and 6 assists to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 103-101 win over the Boston Celtics.