Examining just how good Embiid could become.
If I were to sit down and tell you that a Kansas player was going to be selected first overall this June, you wouldn’t be surprised at all and you would immediately expect it to be Andrew Wiggins. The thing is, it’s not Andrew Wiggins. Instead it’s his teammate Joel Embiid who plays center, and in my opinion is one of the five most exciting prospects of the past decade.
Apparently Joel Embiid didn’t start playing basketball until 2011 and he’s already dominating the best conference in college basketball. At first glance you’ll instantly notice that Embiid’s measurables are off the charts. The Cameroonian stands at a legit 7’0” and weighs a solid 240-250 lbs.; he also features a ridiculous wingspan of 7’5”. After growing up playing soccer and volleyball Embiid is a natural athlete and his length and fluidity have made a comfortable transition to the hardwood.
Twenty games into his college career and Embiid is boasting impressive statistics. For the basics he’s averaging 11.4 PPG and 7.6 BPG in just about 23 minutes per game. Embiid’s FG% of 65.9% ranks first in the Big-12 and eighth in the entire country. Additionally Embiid is posting 2.7 BPG which is second in the Big-12 and his block percentage of 12.3% is first in the conference. Arguably Embiid’s most ridiculous stat is his player efficiency rating (PER) of 28.6 which leads the Big-12. You could also make a really strong argument that Embiid is the best rebounder in the Big-12, his offensive rebounding percentage ranks first while his defensive rebounding percentage ranks second.
Offensively Embiid has already shown that he’s dangerous facing up or with his back-to-the-basket. More impressive is his ability to stretch out and knock down jumpers from the outside with decent form. Overall Embiid’s body control and lateral movement is superb. Obviously his offensive skillset still needs some polish, but that has to be expected for any young post player. Most notably he needs to establish a few go-to moves in back-to-the-basket situations.
As much potential as Embiid has on offense he could be stronger on defense. Embiid is already dominant as a shot blocker, and thanks to his lateral quickness he has the tools to become an exceptional on-ball defender with the ability to rotate from the weak-side. I mentioned this earlier, but Embiid is also a very good rebounder so he’ll snatch plenty of boards throughout his NBA career.
There isn’t a true weakness I can find in Embiid’s game. Obviously he’s still raw, but aside from polishing up he just needs to work on some basic things that should be easily coachable. He needs to learn how to control his arms to keep him from fouling, it would also be nice to see him develop more of a killer mentality. He has the potential to be a superstar of the highest order (LeBron or Durant, for example) he needs to realize that and learn how to takeover games. Like most any young big man, adding some more strength would also probably be a pretty good idea for Embiid.
Like everyone else, I’m extremely high on Embiid, there really isn’t a reason not to be. Barring some disastrous injury or a run of awful games down the stretch, I can’t imagine a scenario in which he isn’t selected first overall. The center position is so weak right now and Embiid has what it takes to be dominant.
Player Comparison: If he reaches his ceiling; Hakeem Olajuwon
Next Week’s Report: P.J. Hairston
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
