This trade deadline saw many of the superstars in the East leave for the Western Conference. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving gone, the star power in the East has certainly dropped. But Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum still remain. They are now, without a single doubt, the top three players in their conference.
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Kenny Smith of NBA on TNT was recently discovering who among the three is harder to cover. His take was slightly surprising. Smith claimed that Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers has been far more difficult to cover than both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum. Considering the kind of seasons Giannis and Tatum are having, Kenny’s comments emphasize the impact even Joel Embiid has had on the league.
Kenny Smith: “This is [the Sixers] best opportunity under the Doc Rivers era to get to the NBA Finals. … Joel Embiid is a much tougher cover than Tatum and Giannis at this stage this year.”
Kenny’s praise for Joel Embiid is not unfounded
Joel Embiid has been sensational this season. He was averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists before tonight’s matchup against the Grizzlies. The 7ft center has played like a legitimate candidate until now. His offensive impact is on par with the elite players in the league. In fact, he is tailing Luka Doncic by only 0.2 points per game for the top spot.
Embiid, in addition to being a dominant scorer, is also a pesky rebounder. This ability is not only a defensive boon but also contributes to setting up offensive plays and creating second chances to score.
On the defensive end, Embiid still has the knack to stop anyone who dares to step into the post. His size and athleticism give him an unfair advantage. Currently, the Sixers star is averaging 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Though not a DPOY performance but combine it with his scoring output and you have one of the best two-way players in the NBA.
Is Embiid harder to guard than Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum?
That being said, it is a little difficult to ascertain who is harder to guard between Giannis, Joel, and Tatum. All three of them are playing perhaps the best basketball of their career. But it’s still difficult to ascertain whether Embiid is tougher to guard than the other two or not. Especially because Giannis and Ttaum have proven the might of their unique weapons. It’s vastly different guarding each of them.
While Embiid might have more points per game at this point in the season, Giannis isn’t that far behind him with 31.8 points per game. But Antetokounmpo has more defensive and offensive rebounds than the Philadelphia star. This means, he also contributes to the team’s offense by crashing the board more frequently than Embiid.
Tatum on the other hand may not have the size advantage that the Greek Freak and Embiid have but he is likely the most skilled of the three. His bag of moves is deep and he certainly knows how to bully defenders. With all three playing at a such high level, only the remainder of the season will tell who is the most difficult player to guard in the East.
