There was a time where Joel Embiid was a great defensive player. He capitalized on his size and athleticism to protect the rim while still being solid on the perimeter. That lead to three All-Defensive Second Team selections from 2018 to 2021. But those years are far behind him. The five seasons following 2021 have been his five worst season by defensive rating , with his two worst ones coming in the last two seasons. And the Knicks looked like they knew that more than anyone in Game 1.  Breaking down how Knicks exploited Joel Embiid's defensive struggles in Game 1 New York spent the opening minutes trying to establish the flex action that looked so dominant against the Hawks, but when Mitchell Robinson entered for Karl-Anthony Towns, they switched things up. They opted to use Robinson as a screener, which put a big target on Embiid. From then on, the Knicks pretty much got whatever they wanted. He spent much of the first quarter playing drop coverage, which Jalen Brunson carved up.…