Embiid hopes to win multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards

Trying to help the Philadelphia 76ers' hold onto a narrow lead over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, Joel "The Process" Embiid came up big during the final moments of the fourth quarter with a rejection on a driving Kyle Lowry, getting the ball back for his side and clinching an eventual 94-89 win at the Wells Fargo Center.

The odds-on favorite to take home Rookie of the Year honors has been the backbone of a defense that currently ranks 10th in the Association after finishing the 2015-16 campaign 25th overall. Embiid takes great pride in being able to make an impact on that end of the floor, and is motivated by the possibility of being recognized for his contributions in the future.

"Defensively, I think I can be a leader. One thing I care about in my career is winning multiple Defensive Player of the Year (awards)," Embiid said following Philadelphia's victory, according to Philly Magazine's Derek Bodner.

It works in Embiid's favor that the league's defensive hardware usually goes to centers, although a wing, San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard, has taken home the award the past two seasons.

There's a number of players who can currently make a legitimate claim to being the Defensive Player of the Year, and Embiid is right up there. He sits third in the Association in rejections with 2.4 per game, and is first in defensive field-goal percentage at the rim (among players with at least 25 appearances who have played over 20 minutes per game) at 40.4 percent.

Since the start of the new year, Philadelphia has a defensive rating of 87.5 with Embiid in the game, in comparison to 108.8 when he sits - a difference of 21.3 points per 100 possessions.

Trust The Process, and trust Embiid to reach his goal of putting more than one Defensive Player of the Year trophy on his mantle when it's all said and done, especially if he can maintain this level of production.