Joel Embiid has the size to get old school and bang in the paint, but he fits in the modern game by being able to step outside and bang down 3s. If we look back across history, which NBA big men compare most closely to Embiid in fantasy basketball? André Snellings and John Cregan discuss:
Snellings: Jackie MacMullan's article with Kirk Goldsberry on the modernization of the NBA big man begins with Joel Embiid as today's ideal center. Embiid has throwback size at more than 7-feet tall with a huge frame. He can dominate the paint on both offense and defense when he chooses. However, much to the ire of the legendary big men interviewed in the article, Embiid doesn't want to live in the paint. He wants to knock down 3-pointers, attack off the dribble and create offense from out top.
In short, Embiid seems to want to dominate from the perimeter as much as he wants to control the paint. Perhaps more.
This is where we're going to start our conversation today on just who Embiid is as a player. Which player(s) in NBA history make the best comps for him? And at the end of the day, what is his upside?
When I think of Embiid, the player who comes to mind is