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Joel Embiid has been dominating the league unlike any big man we have seen before, and ESPN's Jay Williams claimed that the great Shaquille O'Neal couldn't guard him.
Embiid is averaging absurd numbers over the last few months. He is the frontrunner for the NBA MVP award, and many analysts have declared that he is the best player in basketball right now. His skillset and repertoire extend way beyond the low post, and his perimeter skills make him lethal from any spot on the floor.
That's why Williams was comfortable making the bold claim that prime Shaquille O'Neal would find it difficult to guard the Cameroonian.
On the popular ESPN show "Keyshawn, JWill & Max," Williams said:
"I think Shaq would have fits trying to guard (Embiid). Shaq wouldn't be able to guard him. I would throw him on the perimeter all day long. ... What happened to traditional centers? They’ve morphed into Joel Embiid."
Williams backed up his claim by suggesting he would put Embiid in a pick and roll on every possession. O'Neal wasn't very good at defending pick and rolls and was practically useless when brought near the perimeter. The Big Diesel always operated in the paint, and his defensive prowess was limited to that area. If he ever matched up with Embiid and had to guard all the offensive actions coming his way, he would certainly face a tough time.
All the centers during O'Neal's era were dominant low-post men who never shot any 3-pointer. Embiid can shoot from all over the floor with a variety of scintilating moves. He can shoot fadeaways off one leg, post up on a bigger man and also pull up from deep. O'Neal certainly never experienced any similar competition during his playing days.
However, O'Neal loves Embiid's game, and he has said so multiple times. He enjoys watching a dominant big man who can do it all. During the 2022 NBA All-Star game broadcast, O'Neal rooted for Embiid to win the game's MVP award.
Joel Embiid talks about the comparisons to Shaquille O'Neal
Joel Embiid was humbled after he was compared to the legendary Shaquille O'Neal. He acknowledged that O'Neal is one of the best to ever lace up at the center position But he also claimed that he is "Joel Embiid" and is great in his own right.
During a Philadelphia 76ers postgame news conference, he addressed the comparison to O'Neal, saying:
"I don't play the way Shaq did. He is dominant in all the way I'm not, physically dominant like he was. He was a freaking monster when he played, obviously a Hall of Famer, one of the best ever, but I'm Joel Embiid"
Embiid is certainly a unique center who can perform moves we are accustomed to watching guards make. He is averaging nearly 35 points per game since last month, and his numbers are improving alongside a playmaker like James Harden. The Cameroonian big man is on pace to earn the MVP award, and he would be the first 76er to win the award since Allen Iverson in 2001.
Guess the Lakers players!
