Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Joel Embiid Full Comparison 2023-24

In today’s NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid are two of the most dominant forces in the game. Routinely, these two giants can be seen leading their respective teams to victory on any given night, using their leadership and basketball skills to keep their teams toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Now, it is time to settle the debate between the two and crown the one true King of the East. 

Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid being among the top five players in the NBA has been a conversation we have had for several years now. Each of these players has earned MVP awards, All-Star appearances, All-NBA Team selections, and All-Defensive First Team selections. Embiid has broken the mold in terms of what a 7-footer can do on the basketball court while Giannis is one of the best two-way players we have seen over the last 20 years.

Using several different valuable attributes and statistics, it is time to reveal who the better player is for their team in 2023-24.

Scoring – Joel Embiid

Now, before we fully dive into why Joel Embiid takes the scoring category from Giannis, please understand that a slim margin determines every category here. It is no different in the scoring department as both players are dominant in their own ways.

Joel Embiid is coming off back-to-back scoring titles in 2022 and 2023 with the 76ers, averaging 30.6 points per game in 2022 and 33.1 points per game in 2023. Through 13 games in 2023-24, Embiid is chasing his third straight scoring title, currently leading the NBA with 31.9 points per game as well. In each of these seasons, Embiid has shot 49.9% or better from the field and over 81.4% from the foul line. The way he picks his spots, knocks down shots from various ranges and can get to the foul line make him as elite as it gets for a center scoring-wise in today’s NBA.

In many ways, although he is dominant, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a bit of a one-trick pony when it comes to scoring. Using his otherworldly strength and athleticism, Antetokounmpo bullies and forces his way through the paint on most possessions. Even though opponents know what he is about to do, he has been able to dominate scoring the ball this season with 29.6 points per game on 60.1% shooting from the field through 14 games this season. He is also one of the game’s better transition threats on offense. When it comes to efficient scoring and versatility, Embiid gets the slightest of edges over Giannis.

Shooting – Joel Embiid

The shooting category is another win for Joel Embiid over Giannis Antetokounmpo. This season, Embiid’s mid-range numbers are down but he is still shooting over 54.0% on shots from beyond 16 feet to the three-point line and over 31.5% from three. Less than half of his shots come from beyond 10 feet but he is on the mark when he is able to create and let them fly from those spots.

Giannis’ jumper has been the weakest part of his game for some time now. Whether it be his very public struggles at the foul line or 23.3% shooting from three in 2023-24, Giannis has always had issues with his shots dropping outside of 10 feet. Less than 30.0% of his shots come from beyond the 10-foot mark, meaning his shot attempts are 20.0% less likely to occur from those spots than Embiid. He may be shooting over 50.0% or better from 3-10 feet and 10-16 feet but his lack of attempts tells you all you need to know about his game plan heading into games.

Teams in the NBA today are far more likely to be successful in letting Giannis take perimeter shots or sending him to the foul line than they are with Embiid who can get into rhythm fairly quickly for a man his size. For these reasons, Embiid takes another category to start this comparison 2-0.

Athleticism – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Okay, I may have lied about every category being close because this one does not play out that way for Joel Embiid. Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to mesmerize fans with his feats of athleticism on both ends of the ball. From his dazzling display of defensive stops thanks to his speed and instincts to his fantastic finishes on offense thanks to his leaping ability, strength, and awareness, Giannis is the more athletic player of these two. That, and his nickname is literally “The Greek Freak” based on his athleticism.

Now, things may fall on the opposite end of the spectrum for Joel Embiid. Trust me, I know Joel Embiid is athletic, he is in the NBA after all. However, I have a question for many of our readers out there. Have you ever seen a 7-footer in NBA history who is as uncoordinated or hits the floor as many times as Joel Embiid does during a game? It’s tough to watch most nights, whether it is foul-baiting or a lack of balance.

I apologize but I cannot give an athleticism category to a player who fails to remain upright as often as Joel Embiid does.

Defense – Giannis Antetokounmpo

There is no doubt that both Giannis Antetokounmopo and Joel Embiid are two of the most elite interior defenders in the entire NBA. In 2022-23, Joel Embiid earned All-Defensive First Team honors while Giannis missed out on even making the Second Team. I beg of you to not overrate their abilities on the backs of simple accolades.

Let’s start with their impact defensively. Embiid is one of the best in the world at defending other big centers and power forwards. However, he also routinely gets beat off the dribble when switching on to smaller guards and wing players. For Giannis, his defensive abilities rarely take a possession off. Not only is he able to hold his own against other elite bigs in the NBA, but he is also able to disrupt the flow of an offense thanks to his lateral movement, instincts, and overall defensive acumen.

In terms of how their defenses impact their franchises at the current moment, I am still siding with Giannis Antetokounmpo over Joel Embiid on the defensive side of the ball in 2023-24.

Handles – Joel Embiid

Comparing the handles of two generational big men is one of the lesser categories in terms of importance but it has to be broken down nevertheless. For these two, it is quite easy to see within five minutes of watching them which one you would rather handle the ball in critical moments.

Both display a fair amount of control with the ball but Embiid is slightly more controlled when faced with defensive pressure. There are rarely times that Embiid will lose control of the ball or stubble from the perimeter. Getting to his spots in the mid-range or off the dribble looks very natural to him at times.

As for Giannis, he loves to play downhill and stay in attack mode, rarely using, or even needing, his ball-handling skills to get his shots off. At times, he looks way off and distressed when forced to create from the perimeter which has and will continue to lead to turnovers in these situations. Although neither is the next Allen Iverson or Kyrie Irving, Embiid gets another category by a slim margin over Giannis.

Clutch – Giannis Antetokounmpo

For some reason, basketball fans like to think of a player being clutch as knocking down game-winners or blocking an opponent’s chance at a game-winner on the other end. While that is part of it, it is not the entirety of the category, nor is it a deciding factor when choosing who is more clutch between these two players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has proven in the past that he does not shrink on the big stage. He led the Bucks to an NBA title in 2021 after being down 2-1 in the series and 50 points in Game 6. As for Embiid, he has yet to lead his team to a Conference Finals appearance in his career and has shrunk on multiple occasions with chances to put playoff series away before relinquishing leads and completely falling apart.

Back to this season. Giannis is still the player that Milwaukee looks to every time they need a bucket in a close game. Even with Damian Lillard on the court, Giannis is the one getting the ball in every clutch moment. On the defensive side of the ball, he is the first player that offenses try to find and take out of the play due to his attraction to big stops on the biggest of stages. For these reasons, it is hard to deny that Antetokounmpo is a more clutch player than Joel Embiid.

Leadership – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Having zero knowledge of what goes on behind closed doors, leadership is a tough thing to measure between two players. All we have to go off of is what we see on the court and in the headlines as the year progresses which is something that heavily favors Giannis Antetokounmpo.

For me, it is easy to see how great of a leader Giannis is due to how his team rallies around him during the tougher times on the court as well as continuously relying on him during crucial moments. At times, the Milwaukee Bucks choose to live and die through Ginnais, showing his character as well as what he gives his team on a nightly basis rubs off on his teammates.

Joel Embiid has some of these qualities as well. The only thing I have noticed is that when Embiid’s body language changes during the rough times, his entire team changes negatively. You cannot be a leader and let those things infiltrate a team to affect them in that manner. Not to mention the disorganization and lack of camaraderie that has plagued the 76ers over the last few seasons. Embiid’s fault or not, it is his job to rally the troops and that is the part that has its inconsistencies.

Basketball IQ – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Both Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo have a deep and voluminous understanding of the game of basketball. You do not reach the levels they have as MVPs of the league without that type of knowledge and understanding of what it takes to be successful in the NBA.

Joel Embiid has a deep understanding of both sides of the game but there are limits. His off-ball defense is slower and ill-timed than Antetokounmpo as is his ability to read defenses in favor of his teammates. When Giannis gets the ball and is on his way to the rim, he displays a more effortless ability in understanding when to use his teammates while Embiid is more likely to turn it over or put up an ill-advised shot.

The difference is once again minuscule in the grand scheme of how both these players display their intelligence on the court but for me, Giannis has displayed a slightly sharper basketball mind than Embiid has lately.

Impact – Giannis Antetokounmpo

In terms of impact, both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid are massively impactful for their respective teams. With them on the court, their teams are among the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Without them, they look like they could be on the verge of competing for a lottery pick and that is just the truth of the matter.

Giannis gets the slight edge over Embiid for his disruption of opposing offenses as well as the attention he draws on the other side of the ball. While Embiid is versatile offensively and dominant for stretches, Giannis has shown time and time again that he is the key to Milwaukee’s success. Defensively, his versatility is such a disruption that offenses regularly have to attack away from wherever he is on the court which is still a crapshoot considering he will likely still make a play. On offense, there is no disturbing his bully-ball flow when he gets going, giving Milwaukee a physical edge that is as impactful as any one trait a player has in the NBA today.

Efficiency – Joel Embiid

Honestly, flip a coin for the efficiency category between these two players because they are among the elite in the NBA when it comes down to it. Giannis has been a more efficient scorer in 2023-24, averaging over 30.0 points per game on 62.0% shooting. His true shooting percentage is also higher than Embiid’s at 64.8% on the year.

However, shooting and scoring aren’t the entire story when it comes to efficiency. By the way, Embiid averages over 30.0 points per game on over 50.0% shooting as well. Embiid is also logging a higher PER than Giannis this season at 31.7 to Antetokounmpo’s 29.0. When combining these two giants, their efficiency comes down to other aspects of the game than just scoring and with turnovers and such being taken into account, it has to slightly go to Joel Embiid.

1-On-1 Game – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Recently, we did a hypothetical supreme 2023024 NBA 1-on-1 tournament to crown the best isolation player in today’s NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo came out on top during that tournament as the winner so selecting Joel Embiid here would completely go against my own words. If you know me, then you know that isn’t happening.

I stick by that decision in this comparison as well with Antetokounmpo’s athleticism, defense, and overall ability in those situations being a much tougher matchup for Embiid. While I do give Embiid a slight offensive edge, I also think that Antetokounmpo is going to be able to retain his abilities throughout a grueling game to 21 in a 1-on-1 setting. I don’t know, I say we see it for ourselves during All-Star Weekend. What say you, Commissioner Silver?

Final Result

Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Joel Embiid 7-4

While Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the two best players in the NBA that reside in the East right now, it has never been more clear that Antetokounmpo is still the greater player overall. Sure, Embiid is the reigning MVP and has the Sixers playing incredibly to start the season but Giannis has been on a different level than most over the last month.

You can’t go wrong with either player being the cornerstone of a franchise but Giannis’ impact on the game at almost every level and in every facet is something that doesn’t come around all too often. While Nikola Jokic has repeatedly been crowned the best player in the world, Giannis has been the one who most consistently challenges that stance and closes the gap with every passing performance. Joel Embiid has been spectacular during regular season play to the point that we have almost become numb to it and disregard how great he is which is criminal. Until we see Embiid take his game to the next level in the playoffs, I have a feeling his spot behind Giannis in the NBA hierarchy will remain the same.