Quote (Sixers @ Jul 16 2021 07:42am)

Shaq got absolutely torched defending the pick & roll in his days, even back then when the game was nowhere near as fast and the floor was smaller due to a lack of spacing. He was a liability then, and would get targeted often as a defensive liability especially outside of the paint. Embiid has insanely good footwork for a man of his size (thanks to soccer growing up) and can defend well on the perimeter against smaller guards when needed.

Now? No chance for Shaq, that same Shaq at any point in his career back then wouldn't stand a chance defending in todays game. He was absolutely useless outside of the paint, and couldn't defend the pick & roll to save his life (and the P&R and 100x harder to defend in todays game). In todays game you have to switch, too many guys can shoot and they can shoot from way too far out. Shaq never switched, he'd just stand in the paint all game because that's all he could do. He would never be able to defend in todays game, period.

Offensively sure, he'd be a monster in the paint and get his nobody can deny that, but then again todays game wouldn't allow him to just drop his shoulder and plow over guys in the same manner like he did in his prime. He also couldn't just stand in the paint all game or around the block, that wouldn't work in the modern space and pace game for a go-to guy. At the very least he'd need to be able to face up and handle the rock to create for himself a bit.


Embiid is in a different class as a post-up player in todays game. Nobody else in the league now posts up nearly as much as him, and nobody comes even remotely close to being as efficient. He posts up more than most entire teams in the league rofl. Yet we still see Embiid working around the perimeter, shooting 3-4 threes per game (at a respectable league average 38%), and facing up to take guys off the dribble from the outside. Embiid also has one of the best and most unguardable mid-range jumpers in the league, especially that turnaround fade jumper which is his bread and butter. Defensively? Embiid switches onto guards all the time, he has incredible footwork for a 7 footer at his size (ty soccer), and he's probably the second best rim protector in the league after Gobert (his rim defense % is actually on par with Gobert).


[x] More versatile
[x] Better fit for todays game


Check and check.

Quote (MigNado @ Jul 17 2021 07:54pm)

trash take