Getty Sixers center Joel Embiid has drawn comparisons to both Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing.
The most common comparison to Joel Embiid’s all-around hoops game is Hakeem Olajuwon. The similarities are uncanny when you look at them side-by-side, especially since Embiid can actually pull off the famed “Dream Shake.”
But the Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center also has a lot of Patrick Ewing in his game. His post-up moves match best to the former New York Knicks legend, including fancy footwork and a vicious fadeaway. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers brought up Ewing in casual conversation on Sunday afternoon during his media availability with local reporters.
He revealed the Sixers have been practicing at Georgetown University over the past few days and Ewing — the school’s head basketball coach — has been observing. The Hall-of-Fame center even chatted with Embiid after shootaround.
“We had a chance to practice at Georgetown the other day,” Rivers said, “and Patrick stayed and watched and talked [to us].”
Doc Rivers says #Sixers practiced at Georgetown the other day and Patrick Ewing stayed, watched, talked to Joel Embiid afterward. The two big men share a special bond. #HereTheyCome
Ewing was an 11-time All-Star while averaging 21 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for his career. He never won the MVP award, but it was a tough era where he competed against other dominant bigs like Olajuwon, plus David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal. Still, Ewing is considered one of the greatest centers ever and Embiid should feel honored to be in the same company. Rivers sees a bit of Olajuwon, Ewing, and even Kevin McHale in Embiid, although he prefers to stay away from comparing players.
“I don’t do the comparison thing often. I just try and stay away from that and I think Joel is his own guy,” Rivers said. “But I think Joel has a little bit of all those guys … the footwork of Hakeem and McHale, the fadeaway, the shooting of Ewing. He [Embiid] puts a lot of work into his game and that’s what makes him such a good player.”
Not even a hot take: Healthy Joel Embiid reminds me of young Patrick Ewing
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Wizards Coach Heaps Praise on Embiid’s Game
The Olajuwon-Embiid debate reignited on Saturday when Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks threw out the comparison. Brooks’ opinion carries a little extra weight since he was Olajuwon’s teammate and won a championship with the Houston Rockets in 1993-94.
When asked about the MVP race and how he played with one in Hakeem Olajuwon, Scott Brooks joked: “He played with me.”
They actually beat Ewing’s New York Knicks in the NBA Finals that year. The 55-year-old coach called Embiid the “most skilled center” since Olajuwon and attempted to explain why after Sunday’s practice.
“He’s about as good as they can possibly be at that position. I was fortunate enough to play with Olajuwon for almost three years,” Brooks told reporters, via NBC Washington. “He’s doing things that I haven’t seen since then. In his seventh year in the league, he’s been able to see it all now. He’s had seen all the defenses, seen all the schemes and he’s skilled. He’s a skilled, athletic, tough, high-IQ basketball player.”
Added Rivers: “I can see that and I can see Patrick Ewing.”
Joel Embiid looks a lot like Hakeem Olajuwon in this @CocaCola #SCMustSee.
Rivers Reveals Embiid’s Biggest Strength
Ben Simmons couldn’t stop talking about Embiid’s passing in Game 3. When the Wizards were collapsing double and triple teams around him, the Sixers big man seamlessly kicked the ball out to his shooters. Or passed the rock back out to Simmons to let him facilitate. It was a thing of beauty.
On Sunday, Rivers called Embiid’s passing his newest and most improved strength. The Sixers head coach also praised the 7-footer for taking the shots that are there instead of forcing the issue. Heck, the whole team did that and shot 58.6% from the field as a result.
“Offensively, if you figure that out as a team in general, not just Joel but when to shoot and when to pass, when to cut, when to drive,” Rivers said. “If you can get your team to have that rhythm, and then be good at that, you’re going to be a good offensive team. Individually, I thought Joel did that. As a team, we did that as well. But I thought Joel in particular, shot the shots he should have shot. He passed when he was supposed to pass, that’s as good as you can get.”
The mastery of Joel Embiid.
1) scans court, recognizes double coming but it’s too far away, gets up an in-rhythm fadeaway to avoid.
2) very next play: scans court, recognizes imminent double-team defender is now cheating too close to him, the pass, cash.