Do people still believe Embiid wouldn't be hunted by the Warriors?

[stormi]

(who was not in foul trouble)

Ohhhhh. It was the foul troubles for why that Nuggets big stood flatfooted as the game sealing layup whizzed past his face.

Thank god he didn't foul out!

That coupled with the hamstring injury.

I'm sure the hamstring was mashed up last year against the Suns too when that Nuggets big was pick & rolled into a slow bludgeoned death.

[cupcakesnake]

I know there's been a couple poor defensive possessions for Embiid but boy do I disagree that Embiid is struggling defensively in this series.

Especially with Thybulle being a part-time player in this series, Embiid has been everything defensively for Phili (though shout out Tobias Harris who has been solid matching up on Siakam). The Raptors adjustments to score on the Sixers have been 100% about figuring out how to throw everything they can at Joel. Sixers prefer to keep Joel in the paint, where he's been excellent at defending the hoop and helping contest other people's man. Siakam or OG iso'ing near the paint has meant permanent fear of Joel sneaking over at the last second to contest. Obviously, they want him out of the paint where he cant offer help. Obviously they want to exhaust him and force him to guard a ton of actions. The Raps have done very well attacking Embiid with everything they have and finding ways to score. But Nurse and the Raps have healthy fear and respect for his defensive impact and that's why they're trying to run him through the gauntlet, especially since he's playing through pain.

Joel is pretty intimidating on the perimeter. We keep discrediting the perimeter defense of bigs without understanding that its not about scoring on Joel or Rudy by drawing them into a perimeter matchup. It's about breaking the other teams scheme and mitigating their biggest advantages.

[floppymoose]

In fairness to Embid & Jokic no big or small for that matter can guard Chef Curry. Just ask Gobert:

[url]

Watch on YouTube

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There were so many memes from that.

Watch on YouTube

[Cubbies2120]

Ohhhhh. It was the foul troubles for why that Nuggets big stood flatfooted as the game sealing layup whizzed past his face.

Thank god he didn't foul out!

That coupled with the hamstring injury.

I'm sure the hamstring was mashed up last year against the Suns too when that Nuggets big was pick & rolled into a slow bludgeoned death.

Did I say that? He improved significantly as a defender from last year (Draymond Green himself said it during the season), but keep putting words in my mouth if it helps you feel better champ

Draymond (A defensive genius) says it
The stats back it up
The video backs up your boy getting smoked (and ankles broken) by significantly inferior players to all-time great Curry

I can see why you deflect tho...

[stormi]

That coupled with the hamstring injury.

I'm sure the hamstring was mashed up last year against the Suns too when that Nuggets big was pick & rolled into a slow bludgeoned death.

Did I say that? He improved significantly as a defender from last year (Draymond Green himself said it during the season), but keep putting words in my mouth if it helps you feel better champ

Draymond (A defensive genius) says it
The stats back it up
The video backs up your boy getting smoked (and ankles broken) by significantly inferior players to all-time great Curry

I can see why you deflect tho...

That Curry night night layup was by far the worst defensive moment of the playoffs to date.

You think the Nuggets should explore playing Jokic beside an actual rim protector? Two big lineups are becoming more prevalent in today's game, look at the Celtics, Bucks and Cavs. You could have Jokic roam around sorta in a zone with switchable defenders all around him and another big that can slide in to help at the rim. He's so talented offensively, but he needs to be hidden in his own end.

[maradro]

People with room-temp IQ realize there are about 2 "bigs" in NBA history that can actually stay with quick guards. Embiid aint one of them. He's got a good wingspan to challenge shots and he's a very good rim protector. He is absolutely not able to guard players like Curry, Morant, prime Westbrook, CP3, Jamal Murray, etc.

It's just too much for a C and that's not even a knock on him, only dumbasses with a specific homer agenda would expect a Center to stop guards in space.

That said, Jokic is indeed the MVP and is better than Embiid. Put Embiid on that Nuggets team and they're not even in the playoffs. Give Jokic a team with Maxey, Harden, Tobias and he's going to the WCF.

Kevin love and? Kg, mobley? Not sure who you are referring to, help me out

[Perseus1966]

In fairness to Embid & Jokic no big or small for that matter can guard Chef Curry. Just ask Gobert:

[url]

Watch on YouTube

[/url]

There were so many memes from that.

Watch on YouTube

gobert cant defend curry and Curry cant defend Gobert ,its simple.

[Cubbies2120]

I'm sure the hamstring was mashed up last year against the Suns too when that Nuggets big was pick & rolled into a slow bludgeoned death.

Did I say that? He improved significantly as a defender from last year (Draymond Green himself said it during the season), but keep putting words in my mouth if it helps you feel better champ

Draymond (A defensive genius) says it
The stats back it up
The video backs up your boy getting smoked (and ankles broken) by significantly inferior players to all-time great Curry

I can see why you deflect tho...

That Curry night night layup was by far the worst defensive moment of the playoffs to date.

You think the Nuggets should explore playing Jokic beside an actual rim protector? Two big lineups are becoming more prevalent in today's game, look at the Celtics, Bucks and Cavs. You could have Jokic roam around sorta in a zone with switchable defenders all around him and another big that can slide in to help at the rim. He's so talented offensively, but he needs to be hidden in his own end.

Not sure - maybe if the Sixers figure out their defensive woes anytime Embiid has to guard someone on the perimeter, the Nuggets will copy it. We are in a league that thrives off copying other teams. We'll have to wait for Embiid to recover his ankles from when Thad snatched them to find out though.

[Cubbies2120]

Yall forcing this Embiid and Jokic rivalry like its Bird vs Magic lol

Can you really call it a rivalry when one guy has all the accolades, sets all-time individual records, and has the same amount of rings as the other guy, and didn't miss out on 50% of their career regular season games due to physical fragility?

I'm not sure I'd call that a rivalry tbh...one is simply on another level.

[Lunartic]

People with room-temp IQ realize there are about 2 "bigs" in NBA history that can actually stay with quick guards. Embiid aint one of them. He's got a good wingspan to challenge shots and he's a very good rim protector. He is absolutely not able to guard players like Curry, Morant, prime Westbrook, CP3, Jamal Murray, etc.

It's just too much for a C and that's not even a knock on him, only dumbasses with a specific homer agenda would expect a Center to stop guards in space.

That said, Jokic is indeed the MVP and is better than Embiid. Put Embiid on that Nuggets team and they're not even in the playoffs. Give Jokic a team with Maxey, Harden, Tobias and he's going to the WCF.

Kevin love and? Kg, mobley? Not sure who you are referring to, help me out

Well if you have to ask...

[tsherkin]

I feel like it's disingenuous to give a given single defender a lot of grief for how someone like Steph Curry exploits them. Steph moves all the time, he drives and passes, keeps moving, cuts, takes screens... he's just all over the place. And then if he rushes out to where you are above the foul line , catches a screen around you for a catch and shoot, that's the big's fault? Let alone if a 6'2 dude gets a 7-footer dancing with his handles and the threat of his shot. What's Jokic, out on an island, supposed to do about that? |

What is Jokic, or Embiid for that matter, supposed to do when Steph gets them on the switch and takes a step-back 28-footer in their face with a release faster than half a second? What's a dude a half-foot shorter than either of them supposed to do, for that matter? There is a reason that using screens is so effective, and when you look at Steph's movement, footwork, timing and the speed of his release, this isn't something where he's burning a guy like Jokic because he's a liability, it's because Steph is a brutal ATG scoring talent.

[SkyHookFTW]

An Embiid-led team will never win a championship, especially when Harden is his #2, another guy known for fading in the playoffs....
If Embiid had just shot like 40% from the field in the 7 game series, Philadelphia would have eliminated Toronto in 2019, but he shot 37%.
He's just not masculine enough, whether its physical or mental, he always comes up short.

Oh, the irony of someone with the screen name Ben10Simmons saying another player is "just not masculine enough, whether its physical or mental, he always comes up short."

[AleksandarN]

I flipped around the video you posted OP - maybe from around the 5:20 mark when Steph dots Joel in the eyes and then up until the rest of the game. Essentially the clutch / guts of the game. Embiid was very active defensively and moving his feet really well.

I don't think player scoring is always equivalent to good or bad defending, or effort. Sometimes it's just better O.

I'm not sure you can call this anything other than a stone footed sieve falling asleep.

Read on Twitter

Yeah it is not like he didn't play good defense till he injured his hamstring. Jokic defense was quite good in that game till he injured his hammy. If you watched the game you would know.