Embiid: My game is 5-10 percent of where I want it to be

Good news, Sixers fans: Joel Embiid plans on becoming much, much better.

The Philadelphia 76ers center was running away with the Rookie of the Year award until recently, when he was shut down for the campaign due to a knee injury.

Despite suiting up in just 31 games on a minutes restriction, the big man exhibited potential to be a great player. He put up numbers surpassed by only one other rookie in history - Wilt Chamberlain - and yet, "The Process" is just getting started.

"I'm not close to where I want to be," Embiid told SLAM's Adam Figman. "My nickname is 'The Process,' and in my mind it's like, something processing, or something loading. I always see that as 100 percent where you want to be. I think I'm about … maybe 5-10 percent.

"I have a lot to improve on my game to get where I want to be. Sometimes I'll go on these runs of scoring the ball and playing good defense and I'm like, Here I am!"

Many of those "Here I am" moments came in the form of powerful dunks and breathtaking blocks. Highlights aside, Embiid made his team significantly better at both ends while he was on the floor.

The 76ers posted an offensive rating of 102.4 with the Cameroonian, and 99.2 without him. But more eye-opening, Philly allowed just 99.1 points per 100 possessions with Embiid anchoring the defense, versus 108.9 sans the 7-footer. Basically, when he plays, the Sixers have the best defense in the league.

Again, it's a small sample size, but the 22-year-old has shown promise as well as a refreshing amount of confidence and ambition. His list of goals includes everything from playing 20 seasons, becoming the best big man in the league to win multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, and someday running the point. He feeds on motivation from within, but he'll take some from external sources, too.

"I love reading articles and bad stuff they say about me," Embiid said. "I read what they're saying bad about me and what I'm not doing on the court, and then the next game going and correcting it, and showing them, yeah, I can do this."

After being sidelined for two seasons with foot problems, the former lottery pick put up 20.2 points, 7.8 boards, 2.5 blocks, and 2.1 assists in just 25.4 minutes per outing. He's the pot of gold at the end of the "Trust the Process" rainbow, and the up-and-coming star that Sixers fans have been waiting for.

Related: Embiid recreates Iverson's iconic SLAM cover

And he's just five to 10 percent of what he hopes to become.