The best version of Joel Embiid

The 76ers star is a man on a mission in 2022

BY DAVID THORPE

Joel Embiid was good to start this season, but has been at his all-time best in 2022. The 76ers head into a 2 p.m. ET MLK day matchup against the Wizards having won nine of their last ten. G FIUME/GETTY IMAGES

This crazy NBA season has had no shortage of storylines: The rolling Ben Simmons drama, the Warriors’ return to glory, Nikola Jokic affirming his place as the world’s best player.

2022 brings another story: Joel Embiid on another level. On offense, the word that comes to mind when watching him is joke. As in, it’s a joke to see a man that large and powerful be so nimble and skilled. Orlando Magic-era Shaquille O’Neal had an obviously breathtaking combination of size and agility, and a subtler factor locked away in his mind. He played the merry old giant who would one day be a beloved and silly studio host. But in reality he tried to destroy anyone near him in the paint, and the rim too. I call it a “disposition to dominate.” 2022 Joel Embiid has Shaq’s mindset, with…