Joel Embiid is one of the most dominant big men in the game, with a versatile skillset. He is a three-level scorer as a big man, being proficient on the interior, hitting the midrange, as well as stepping out, and firing from beyond the arc (39.6% from 3PT range this season).
With Ben Simmons currently sitting out, Joel Embiid has had to do even more on both ends for the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s been a great player who impacts the game in every aspect.
Ahead of the Warriors matchup with the 76ers, coach Steve Kerr has praised Joel Embiid and compared him to some legendary big men such as Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon. Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire reported the news.
“Playing against Joel is like going into a time machine,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “It’s like playing against Patrick Ewing or Shaq or Hakeem Olajuwon, it’s a low post-game. He will step out and shoot 3s and run some DHOs and he’s good with that, but he’s one of the few guys in the league now who can dominate a game from the low block and they’ve done a great job with their roster. Putting a lot of shooting around him.”
Joel Embiid still has a long way to go until he becomes as accomplished as those greats, but there’s no doubt that he is a fantastic player. He will have his work cut out for him tonight when he faces the Warriors, and one of the favorites for the MVP award in Stephen Curry.
The 76ers are currently 7th in the Eastern Conference, and it’s obvious that they have some work to do to avoid the play-in tournament and clinch a top-6 spot in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid has played at an MVP caliber level last season, finishing 2nd in MVP voting. He has also performed at a similar level this season. The 76ers need him to continue doing that to keep winning games, and hopefully, he is up for the challenge.
