Stephen A. Smith recently made yet another hot take on First Take on ESPN. Speaking on who the best player in the Eastern Conference of the NBA is, the analyst initially spoke in Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid‘s favor. Smith believes that from a talent perspective, there is no doubt Embiid is more gifted than his competitor in this category, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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However, if ‘JoJo’ was smiling in the first half of Stephen A’s monologue, he would likely be crying by the second. The following is what the ESPN analyst said, as seen in the X (Formerly Twitter) post by First Take.
“You can’t wiggle your way around it, but there is nothing definitive… You want to tell me Joel Embiid is the better talent? I’m down for that. Better back to the (basket) scorer as far as I’m concerned, doesn’t simply try to overpower and dominate you, his footwork is tremendous, his shot-making ability, he has got touch, he’s got skills… He’s got the entire arsenal…
Smith continued while flipping the narrative.
But resume? As it pertains to dependability? You have to go with Giannis [Antetokounmpo]… Giannis has shown up all the time in the postseason! Even in losses, you find him getting his… But there have been times where you have found yourself saying to Joel Embiid, ‘What the hell is going on?! We need more! Why haven’t you given us more? Why can’t you give us more in this particular playoff game?'”
Who’s the best player in the East: Embiid or Giannis? 🤔
“Of course I would go with Joel Embiid as a talent. But resume? As it pertains to dependability? You have to go with Giannis.” —@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/Qn8yOfkQ4v
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 10, 2023
Overall, Stephen A. Smith seems to have quite a bit more trust in Giannis Antetokounmpo than Joel Embiid. Admittedly, it is difficult to disagree with the ESPN analyst. Embiid has left a lot to be desired several times in the postseason. It has even become a bit of a running joke in the NBA community. However, while Giannis did have his struggles in the postseason, he eventually overcame them and has since shown the ability to be dominant in the playoffs.
Until Embiid can emulate something similar, it’s hard to put him above Giannis as the best player in the Eastern Conference.
Bucks’ new head coach, Adrian Griffin, is already a big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Milwaukee Bucks started off their season against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. After a hard-fought game, Giannis and the Bucks came away the victors, with a final score of 117-118.
During the contest, Giannis’s increase in effort on the defensive end was evident. Commenting on it, the following is what Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin had to say.
“We’ve had conversations before the season even began. It was initiated by Giannis, who made it clear that he wanted to be able to guard some of the top guys in this league and take that challenge… It just speaks to his character. He is a winner. He [Antetokounmpo] is willing to do whatever it takes. If he has to guard the toughest guy, primary scorer on the other end, he’s more than willing and happy to do so.”
During Mike Budenholzer’s reign as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach, Antetokounmpo was primarily used as the help defender, with the player only swooping in as secondary help guarding the best player when needed. However, with the player now having the freedom to guard the other team’s best player, fans may finally get to see the Greek Freak’s best on both ends of the floor.
