MINNEAPOLIS — Joel Embiid corrected a media member who stated at Friday’s shootaround that James Harden taught him the step-back jumper.
“I was already doing that step back since last year,” Embiid said. “So I already had that, but I just wanted to use it since he got here. So I wanted to use it even more.”
Harden will make his Sixers debut Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves after being acquired via a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 10.
Harden’s signature move is his step-back 3-pointer.
Some have tried to duplicate Harden’s move, only to be called for traveling.
Harden manages to evade travel calls because his step-back jumper includes a gather step that allows him to pull in the ball, then take two steps. He takes the gather step just in time to avoid traveling.
The point guard showed his go-to move during the Feb. 15 shootaround before that night’s game against the Boston Celtics. When Embiid attempted to duplicate it during that shootaround, the problem was that he kept taking four steps. He also attempted the move in the Celtics’ game and was called for traveling. However, he was successful using the step-back two nights later against the Milwaukee Bucks.
So on Friday Embiid was asked if his step back was better?
“Um, from the mid range, yeah,” he said. “From the three, he got it. I gotta keep working from the three-point line.”
The Sixers take a 35-23 record into Friday night’s game at the Target Center. They also own the Eastern Conference’s best road record at 19-10. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are 32-28 after beating the Memphis Grizzlies Thursday night. Minnesota is 18-11 at home.
