Jokic is really impressive considering he lacks any sort of explosive athleticism (in NBA standards) and he's built like he drinks beer and eats pizza on a daily basis. It's amazing how great he is despite that.

With that said, here are the facts: As an individual player comparison Embiid is EVERY bit a better scorer, rebounder and defender. Period. Those are not really disputable. He clearly outperforms Jokic in each of those areas. Embiid is a much more physical player, and he is a lot more aggressive as a scorer. Jokic has never averaged more than 4 free throw attempts per game in a season in his career, while Embiid is pretty much a lock for 8+ FTA per game every season because he's just too hard to guard 1 on 1 and gets fouled every time he attacks in the post.


Where he doesn't outperform Jokic is basketball I.Q. and fundamentals. The game comes to Jokic very easily, and he is very good at processing things like double teams and finding the open man on a dime. He's obviously a much better passer than Embiid and he seems to be able to read a defense and adjust. What he lacks in physical ability he makes up for by thinking ahead of his opponents and using his skills to get one step ahead of them. Jokic elevates everyone around him and is truly a great team player because he's like a point guard at center (i believe he led the NBA in passes per game last season).