Hakeem Olajuwon prefers Nikola Jokic over Joel Embiid, but his 3-point criticism misses the mark

[ad_1]

In a terrific story that’s definitely worth your time, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard recently examined the death of the post-NBA game through the eyes of one of the greatest men to ever live, Hakeem Olajuwon. Again, this is a fantastic piece. Check it here.

The basics of the story are long and well documented. Spacing rules. Three is worth more than two. As such, the big men in the NBA who can only exist near the basket are gone. That said, we still have dominant post players. They just don’t operate exclusively on the block.

The two that come to everyone’s mind are Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. These two aren’t quite as accomplished as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, but Jokic and Embiid have become “who’s the best?” ongoing debate. The popular vote has leaned quite heavily towards Jokic in recent years, and indeed Olajuwon sees the Joker as the torchbearer of a bygone post-up era.

From Ballard:

“He doesn’t look strong, but I see him getting such a deep post position,” Olajuwon said of Jokic. “I think maybe it’s the lag, but he’s doing the same against bigger guys. His shooting, his fakes, they’re very hard to time. You don’t know when he’s faking it and when it’s is true. He has stuff!”

Olajuwon nods. “It’s the good one.”

Now, what did Olajuwon have to say about Embiid?

Olajuwon likes [Embiid] and gave him advice, but he has questions. “He’s got all the moves, but harnessing the moves is different. Why would he shoot all three?” asks Olajuwon. “He has the advantage every night, and if I have the advantage, I’m going to wear you down.”

But three? “It’s settling down! When I’m tired, I settling down. You don’t set up when you’re trying to win. You don’t start the game by setting up!”

So this is where we have to bring the dream back to reality. To begin. Embiid is not a mason who has nothing to do behind the arch; since early December, he has made over 43% of his 3s. Additionally, he took fewer 3s last season than Jokic, both overall and on a per-game basis, but made them at a clip 4% higher.

Embiid also shot 37% from deep in 2019-20. Now, to be fair, Jokic is shooting at a higher clip so far this season (37% vs. Embiid’s 35), and he’s taking one less 3 per game than Embiid. Conversely, Jokic leads the league in post-ups per game (9.4 to Embiid’s 6.2, although not all of Jokic’s posts are designed to score). These are the numbers that support the spirit of Olajuwon’s message. If you’re a big boy, play like a big boy.

Please check the subscribe box to confirm that you wish to subscribe.

Thank you for your registration! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Pardon! An error occurred while processing your subscription.

We all have to admit there’s more of a ‘settling’ feel to Embiid shooting 3-pointers than there is with Jokic. Why? Because Jokic, in essence, acts as a point guard in Denver’s offense and seeing the ground from a distance is necessary positionally. His 3 shots are more about the space he inherently takes up when he kills you as a playmaker, while Embiid standing beyond the arc takes him away from places he’s a legal killer.

In the end, it feels like the defenses want Embiid to take 3 seconds to set up. But I assure you that the defenses want Jokic to take 3 rather than cut them a thousand different ways, and the bottom line is that he has obliged over the years as much as Embiid, which will only reduce the space required for James. Harden to work pick and roll and Tyrese Maxey to attack the basket if he hits low all game.

Everything in basketball is about opportunity cost. Fifteen to 20 Embiid post-ups per game is too expensive for the Sixers. So it takes a few 3s here and there. If he does them at the clip he does, there’s not much even Hakeem Olajuwon can say.

[ad_2]